Accompanist 

Mrs. Laura Sturgeon

Laura Sturgeon is a native of Florence, SC, but has lived most of her life in the Irmo/Chapin area.  She attended Converse University in Spartanburg, SC, where she studied piano and harpsichord under George Lucktenberg.  During the summers, she continued her piano studies with Dr. Lucktenberg at the Interlochen Arts Camp (formerly the National Music Camp) in Interlochen, Michigan.  She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Converse in piano performance and piano pedagogy.  She attended graduate school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she studied with Louis Nagel.  She received a Master of Music degree in piano performance.  While living in Ann Arbor, she taught private piano lessons in the metro Detroit area.

Laura returned to South Carolina in 1990, where she continued to teach and accompany vocalists and other instrumentalists in the Columbia area.  In 1994, she began teaching piano exclusively at Columbia College in the Pre-College Department.  Throughout her years at Columbia College, she served as Coordinator of the Pre-College program, maintained a private piano studio and also served as adjunct piano faculty, teaching group piano classes, private piano lessons and piano pedagogy to college music students through the years.  In the summer of 2015, she made the decision to retire from her position at Columbia College and devote all of her teaching time and energy to her students in Chapin.  She has also had the privilege of serving as accompanist for the Voice of Chapin, playing for intermediate, and high school choirs. 

Laura is married to husband Billy, and they have four adult children:  Rachel, Amanda, Eric and Jesse.  Laura’s children all attended Chapin schools and enjoyed and participated in the choral, band, orchestra and baseball programs.  When not playing, practicing or teaching, Laura enjoys camping, traveling and being outdoors.