Harris Becker - Guitarist

LAURA LESSARD studied the piano at an early age with her father, composer John Lessard. She began her guitar studies at the age of thirteen with Stefano Michelucci and continued her musical training at The Longy School of Music and The Manhattan School of Music studying with Alfred Street, Sharon Isbin, Howard Morgan, Jerry Willard and Fred Hand. 

Since then Laura has performed on both the guitar and lute in the United States, Canada and England both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She was a founding member of the Artesian Guitar Quartet, has performed extensively with Harris Becker in the Becker-Lessard Guitar Duo, was guest soloist with the Adephi Chorus and has accompanied flutists and singers in programs ranging from Renaissance music to 21^st century compositions. She performed on a steady basis in shows for Young Audiences throughout the five boroughs of NYC and she has been a frequent performer at the Midsummer Music Dream Festival in Quebec, Canada since 2006. 

In addition to her work as a performer Laura has been on the faculty of the Bronx House Music School, The Guitar Workshop, The Bay School of Music and The Usdan Center for the Performing Arts. She was a founding member and artistic director of The Oberon Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting the arts and artists on Long Island. She has been artist-in-residence with Harris Becker at the Susan E. Wagner High School for the Arts since 2023.