"Celtic Music Wizard"
- Minneapolis Star Tribune
....Performing music from Ireland, Scotland, England, Central France, Northern Spain and Minnesota on a dazzling array of wind-powered instruments, including flutes, whistles, concertina, many bagpipes and voice.
NEWS................
Good News: Laura has been awarded a 2009 Bush Foundation Artist Fellowship! To learn more about the Bush Artist Fellows, click here. Laura's colleague Dáithí Sproule is also a Bush Fellow!
MacKenzie and Dáithí Sproule are finishing their duo CD "The Pinery" - to be released July 17 (on New Folk Records), with a concert at the Celtic Junction in St. Paul. Check the Schedule Page for details! View the POSTER right HERE!
New Artist Representation: Laura and her ensembles are delighted to announce that they are now being represented by Phil Borreson of New Music Arts. Mr. Borreson can be contacted at: pborreson@newmusicarts.org, telephone: 612.353.6592.
Laura was honored by Minnesota Public Radio with a feature on "Voices of Minnesota". The interview by MPR's Dan Olson, including musical interludes, can be heard right here.
Check the Schedule page for upcoming events!
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Introducing Laura:
"In my little black book of musicians and writers there's an entire page dedicated to Laura MacKenzie. Few musicians are persistent and talented enough to become accomplished at more than one instrument in a lifetime. It's common to find a great fiddle player that 'sort of' plays mandolin and guitar. Thus, 'multi-instrumentalist' has become a casual term for a musical jack-of all-trades.
Laura is a blinding exception to that trend. I have been blessed by her talents on many occasions. It doesn't seem to matter if she's playing penny whistles, wooden flutes, Scottish smallpipes, border pipes, concertina or singing; she's among the greatest talent my ears have ever heard. Through intense study her gentle spirit has gained mastery over some of the world's more difficult instruments to play.
I am not alone in believing that when Laura plays she has a spirit that sings with such beauty that the audience, in the studio, in the music hall or at home listening to her CDs is blissfully kissed by enchantment."
- Paul Frantzich, Executive Producer, Compass Productions