Laura Joella

Dr. Laura Joella
DMA, Michigan State University
Professor of Music
Director of Orchestral Studies

Areas of Expertise:
Conducting
Double Bass
Music History

Email: joella@fau.edu
Office Phone: 561.297.2262
Office: AH 119B

Laura Joella, a second generation conductor, is the Director of Orchestral Studies, Director of String Studies, Professor of Music and the Music Director/Conductor of the University Symphony Orchestra at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.  The South Florida Sun-Sentinel praised her as having “a superbly idiomatic touch” and for “drawing tremendously energized rhythmic kick and verve” from FAU’s students.  Under her direction, the FAU Symphony Orchestra was selected to perform as a featured ensemble at the Florida Music Educators Association State Conference.  Her previous posts include conducting for the Florida Youth Orchestra’s Principal & Symphony Orchestras; Music Director/Conductor of the Mason Orchestral Society in Michigan including both the Community Orchestra and the Youth Symphony; Music Director/Conductor of New England Music Camp’s Concert Orchestra in Maine; Conductor for the Michigan State University Concert Orchestra; and Assistant Instructor of Strings at Michigan State University School of Music.

As a guest conductor, she appeared with the Miami City Ballet and the Opus One Orchestra, in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, FL.  “Exquisite dancing, music and costumes” were the focus of a review by the Miami Herald, which detailed the “gorgeous music” under her direction.  She has also guest conducted for the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra in Naples, FL; the Wind Symphony of Florida; the Florida Community College Winter Music Symposium String Orchestra; the Florida Music Educators Association All State High School Honors Orchestra; the Collier County High School Honors Orchestra Festival in Florida; the Broward All County Gold Honors Orchestra in Florida; the Polk All-County 11th-12th Grade Full Symphony Orchestra in Florida; the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 8 Orchestra Festival; the Portland Orchestral Society in Michigan; the Michigan State University Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras; and the Lake Orion School District Orchestra Festival in Michigan. 

Dr. Joella received both her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Orchestral Conducting from Michigan State University.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance with a dual concentration in Double Bass and Saxophone, as well as her Bachelor of Science in Music Education, from Lebanon Valley College.  She was a participating conductor at the Naples Philharmonic Conductor’s Institute.  She studied and conducted at the Conductor's Institute at Spoleto USA, and the Conductor's Institute of South Carolina.  Joella has studied conducting with Jorge Mester; Professor Leon Gregorian and Dr. Raphael Jimenez at Michigan State University; and with Donald Portnoy, Paul Vermel, Kate Tamarkin, Peter Jaffe, and Samuel Jones at the Conductor’s Institute of South Carolina.