Dr. Kathleen Lavengood

Dr. Lavengood has over 20 years of teaching experience, lecturing at major universities and performing with classical symphony orchestras. Kathleen has performed with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Fort Smith Symphony, Indiana’s Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, the Reno Chamber Orchestra and has showcased Mozart’s 4th Violin Concerto and the Barber Violin Concerto with the Chehalem Symphony Orchestra in Newberg, Oregon.  She has lectured at Indiana University, Davis & Elkins College, Miami Dade College, and George Fox University, teaching World Music, Music History, and Music Appreciation courses, as well as string studio lessons and leading a string ensemble. Her classical festival performances include the International Festival-Institute at Round Top, Texas; and the Aspen Music Festival and School, Colorado.

Kathleen is also a US-Canada Fulbright Scholar who studied Cape Breton fiddling while researching her doctoral thesis on music and tourism in Nova Scotia, Canada.  She has performed at the Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and has won first place in Open Class at the Portland Highland games and Virginia Scottish Games. Following her Irish heritage, she has traveled to Ireland and performed in local festivals and sessions in Roundstone (County Connemara) and Kenmare (County Kerry).  Her favorite aspect of Celtic fiddling is exploring the various “dialects” of regional fiddling and its shared repertoire with the American bluegrass and old-time traditions.

PhD Indiana University (Ethnomusicology), MM University of Nevada (Orchestral Studies), BM University of Oregon (Violin Performance).