A native of Rhode Island, hornist Lauren Becker is an active performer and educator. As a freelance musician she has performed with ensembles throughout the United States and beyond, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Symphoria, and Kuala Lumpur International Festival Orchestra. Lauren is a member of Music in the American Wild, a chamber ensemble that performed world-premiere compositions in seven U.S. National Parks during the summer of 2016 to celebrate the centennial of the National Parks Service. She has appeared on many recordings, including the Eastman Wind Ensemble’s collaboration with the Canadian Brass entitled Manhattan Music (Opening Day Entertainment Group) and the Buffalo Philharmonic’s recording of selected works of Béla Bartók (Naxos Records).  Lauren is Assistant Professor of Horn at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam. Prior to her appointment at Crane, Lauren taught horn at Nazareth College, the University of Rochester, and the Eastman Community Music School. She has also been a horn instructor and chamber music coach at Crane Youth Music, the New York Summer Music Festival, the Summer Youth Music School at the University of New Hampshire, and a staff member at Kendall Betts Horn Camp. Lauren holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, where she was awarded the 2013 Teaching Assistant Prize for excellence in collegiate teaching. She received a Master of Music degree from Eastman in Horn Performance and Literature and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire. Lauren’s primary horn instructors include Peter Kurau, Kendall Betts, and John Boden.