Born in 2005, Laurel Harned hails from Southern California.  She began her guitar studies at the age of 9 under Susan Graves, later with Jack Sanders.  In the Fall of 2025, Laurel entered the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University where she is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance under the tutelage of Maestro Manuel Barrueco.  Prior to attending Peabody, she earned her Associate’s degree in Music from Moreno Valley College, where she was a Dean’s List student and a tutor for numerous classes.

Ms. Harned’s recent solo recitals include the Esri Forum in Redlands and the Carmel Guitar Society.  In July 2025, she was a soloist with the Oklahoma Chamber Orchestra, performing the 1st movement of Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez at the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute.  In April 2024, Ms. Harned was featured on NPR’s From the Top in the episode “Musicians from Rural America.”

She has performed in nearly twenty masterclasses with world-renowned artists including Ana Vidovic, the Beijing Guitar Duo, Jason Vieaux, Goran Krivokapić, Lorenzo Michelli, Matteo Mela, and Antigoni Goni.  Laurel has also won first prizes in several competitions, received the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Scholarship, and attended the 2024 Volterra Project in Italy on full scholarship.  

In the past two years, she has recorded videos for Guitar Salon International (USA) and Siccas Guitars (Germany) for release on YouTube, with over a million views.  She is proud to be an Augustine Strings Ambassador and represents Super Light Cases.  She performs on a 2005 Andrea Tacchi guitar.