Event

Five Fridays: Born Lau, Viola

Praised for his musical imagination and unflagging passion, violist Born Lau is an emerging star in the music world. After his performance with the Tokyo String Quartet, Reviewer Steven Woodruff wrote, "Stylish and expressive...violist Lau again showed himself to be an excellent player."

Currently based in Los Angeles, Born Lau maintains a balance between his international engagements as soloist with orchestra and his recital and chamber music activities. Besides organizing a fundraising concert for UNICEF, Born Lau was invited to perform as a viola soloist in Hong Kong during the summer of 2011.

Born Lau is the recipient of numerous awards. Most recently he was named the winner of the Astral Artists' 2012 National Auditions. He was prized in the 2011 Schmidbauer International Strings Competition, the 2009 Artist Series of Sarasota Scholarship Competition, and the Music Society of Coral Lakes. Lau has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the Colburn Orchestra, Hong Kong Festival Orchestra, New Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Dreyfoos Philharmonic Orchestra. Festival appearances include Yellow Barn Festival and the Sarasota Music Festival.

Originally from Hong Kong, Mr. Lau graduated from high school in West Palm Beach, Florida. He began studying the violin at age seven and the viola at age eleven. Past teachers include Richard Fleischman, Karen Tuttle and Evan Wilson, and for chamber music, Ronald Leonard, John Perry and Arnold Steinhardt. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Music Degree at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, under the tutelage of Paul Coletti. Born Lau will be continuing his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music this fall, as a student of Roberto Diaz.

Mr. Lau enjoys playing on a viola made by Carl Becker, generously loaned from a private collection.

Born Lau is represented by Astral Artists