Joanna Lau, Multifaceted Flutist, Writer, and Educator
Originally from New York, Joanna Lau is a talented flutist, writer, and teacher now based in Pittsburgh. A recent graduate of Harvard College with a B.A. in Neuroscience (cum laude) and a minor in English, Joanna is currently pursuing a Master's in Flute Performance at Carnegie Mellon University.
As a flutist, Joanna excels as a soloist, orchestral, and chamber musician. She is a finalist for the Piccolo/Flute 3 position with the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and regularly substitutes with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony. This summer, she will be a Flute Fellow at the prestigious Music Academy of the West. Her previous fellowships include the 2023 National Orchestral Institute and the 2022 Round Top Festival Institute. Joanna's solo performances have been featured with the Manhattan School of Music PreCollege Philharmonic Orchestra, Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, and Island Symphony Orchestra, where she won their concerto competitions. As a former recipient of the Anthony Quinn Foundation Scholarship, Joanna remains passionate about sharing her love of music through teaching and performing. During her time at Harvard, she actively engaged with the greater Boston music community and participated in outreach programs such as the Back to Bach Project, Continuo, and Virtual Bedside Concerts. She also maintains a small studio of private flute students.
In addition to her musical achievements, Joanna is an accomplished writer of fiction and creative nonfiction. She was the second-place winner of the 2021 Cyrilly Abels Short Story Prize and a finalist in the 49th New Millennium Writing Award for Nonfiction. In 2023, she attended the NYS Skidmore Summer Writers Institute's advanced fiction workshop on a full tuition scholarship. Joanna's writing has earned her a Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, first place in the International Poetry of Resistance Contest, and second place in Brooklyn Poets' Walt Whitman Bicentennial Poetry Contest. Her work has been published in Apprentice Writer, Brooklyn Poets, Chomp, Poetry Escape, and other publications.
Joanna is also a dedicated teacher who values guiding her students while fostering a love for learning. She teaches flute privately and has extensive experience as a private academic tutor, specializing in English/Writing, college application essays, and K-12 Math. Additionally, Joanna serves as a Writing Center Tutor at Harvard University and previously taught flute on the faculty of Through the Staff.
Joanna's diverse talents and dedication to both music and writing continue to inspire and influence those around her.