Laurel Diskin – violin (BM Violin / BA Spanish, magna cum laude, CSULA): Aside from her degrees, Laurel has earned a single-subject teaching credential in Spanish from California State University, Los Angeles. She is currently teaching part-time at the high school level for a distance learning program while completing the first year Induction Program to clear her teaching credential, and she is so close to her MM degree (violin performance) that she can taste it. She is proud to study with Mr. Jay Zhong and to be a part of CSULA’s Music Department. She is an enthusiastic orchestral player and greatly enjoys chamber music and opera, participating in many ensembles on campus. She also has an interest in new music and frequently collaborates with the composers at CSULA to play their works.
Aside from pursuing her studies and teaching, Laurel is a working violinist in the Los Angeles area. She is a founding member of the WSCM String Quartet and has played with several professional orchestras and opera companies, including the Ohio Light Opera. She is a regular first violinist with the Southeast Symphony. A dedicated music educator, she is finishing her eighth year as a violin teacher with the Saturday Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization that offers low-cost music lessons to children. She also maintains a small private studio. This is Laurel’s second year in Yuma. She is delighted to be back and to be presenting Darin Templeton’s string quartets.