Laura Messina

Laura Messina is a music educator, arts administrator, and performing cellist active in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. As the program manager for the Josiah Quincy Orchestra Program (JQOP) in Chinatown, she manages daily operations of the before-school El Sistema–inspired orchestra program of more than 160 students and 18 faculty. Before coming to JQOP, she worked for four years for musiConnects, an El Sistema program in Mattapan.

In addition to serving as education and programs director, Messina also taught cello, orchestra, and chamber music, and designed a string curriculum for elementary school students in two Boston Public Schools. She currently teaches private cello lessons through the musiConnects community lessons program in Roslindale. She also led the elementary strings program in Belmont Public Schools for two years, teaching group lessons to third- and fourth-grade students as well as conducting elementary-level orchestras.

Previously, Messina taught strings in the public schools of Middlebury and Westport, Connecticut. Laura is a certified Suzuki cello teacher, and holds a master's degree in Music Education from Western Connecticut State University and a bachelor's degree in Music Education from Ithaca College.