Lauren Cordell

LAUREN CORDELL was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She began violin lessons at four years old, earning a violin scholarship at the Nevada School of the Arts a year later. In elementary, junior, and high school, she was awarded Superior ratings each year at the Clark County Solo & Ensemble Festival and at the All-State Solo & Ensemble Festival. Lauren was featured in the Young Artists Recital series in 1998 at the Reed Whipple Cultural Arts Center. In 1999, Lauren was awarded a quartet scholarship to the Southern Utah University Quartet Festival. Other awards include the Nevada School of the Arts Scholarship from 1985 – 1999, the Bolognini Scholarship Awards in 1989 and 1999, and the Liberace Scholarship and UNLV Music Scholarship from 1999 – 2003.

Lauren’s professional career was launched during high school with performing engagements in the Nevada Symphony Orchestra and the Henderson Civic Symphony. In college, she went on to perform with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra. Later, she was one of the youngest members ever to win a tenured position with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. She also toured the world as a featured fiddler for Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.

Lauren has also performed in major headline shows, videos, and recordings including Jean Michael Danton’s The Sorcerer, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance – Las Vegas, Frank Sinatra’s Memorial Concert, The B.E.T. Awards, The Latin Grammys, The Country Music Awards, The Billboard Awards, NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera – The Las Vegas Spectacular, Mannheim Steamroller’s Winter in Venice, Mel Brooks’ The Producers, Walt Disney’s Lion King, Lady Gaga’s Jazz Piano Show at the Park MGM, Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers, and many others.

Lauren is currently the featured violinist with the Jazz Vegas Orchestra and a string mentor in the Jazz Outreach Initiative’s education program. In 2025, she developed and launched the program Swingin’ Strings, an educational program geared towards K-5 students, teaching them about jazz and string instruments. The program is sponsored by the Jazz Outreach Initiative and The Smith Center Education Department. Lauren enjoys performing on a few instruments including violin, viola, and mandolin. She is diversified in many genres, including Jazz, Rock, Pop, Country, and her favorite, Gypsy Jazz. She also enjoys teaching all ages and feels it’s never too late to appreciate fine music