IBO Musicians

An active performer on cello, baroque cello, and viola da gamba, Lara Turner enjoys a varied career performing music ranging from contemporary to baroque. Lara is passionate about performing early music on period instruments. She has been the principal cellist of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado since it began almost 20 years ago, and is a core member of the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra. She was the principal cellist of Bourbon Baroque for 13 years before the group disbanded, has been a featured soloist on viola da gamba in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival, and has frequently performed with other early music ensembles including Fort Wayne Bach Collegium, NYS Baroque, and Three Notch’d Road. As a modern cellist, Lara has held the position of Principal Cello with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra since 2004. She is a founding member of Claricello, a clarinet and cello duo focusing primarily on contemporary classical music written for this unusual combination, and has performed in Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, and across the United States with this ensemble. Their performance of “Dust” by Belinda Reynolds can be heard on her CD entitled Cover. A dedicated teacher, Lara has taught cello lessons and coached chamber music ensembles at the National Music Camp for Youth in Panama and as part of a Fulbright project in Bolivia. Currently she maintains a large private studio and serves as adjunct cello faculty at Saint Mary’s College and Andrew’s University. Lara holds a Bachelor of Music degree in cello performance with a minor in baroque cello and viola da gamba from the Oberlin Conservatory where she studied with Andor Toth, Jr. and Catharina Meints. At the San Francisco Conservatory she earned a Master of Music degree in cello performance, studying with Bonnie Hampton.