Hailed by the Oregonian for his “great agility and sweet, burnished sound,” violinist Byron Laing has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across the United States and as an orchestral musician in Europe. Byron debuted as soloist with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra at age 16, and has since performed as soloist with the MetroArts Young Artist Debut Orchestra and the Portland Youth Philharmonic, and won numerous competitions, most recently first prize at the 2023 National Federation of Music Clubs Collegiate Competition. Byron has appeared on multiple All Classical Portland radio programs, including a solo recital on “Thursdays@Three,” a featured interview on “On Deck with Young Musicians,” and a live concerto broadcast of the first movement of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, performed with members of the Oregon Symphony and Oregon Ballet Theater Orchestra.

As a violinist in the Persephone String Quartet at Jacobs School of Music, coached in the Advanced Quartet Seminar by the Pacifica Quartet, Byron has appeared at chamber music festivals including the Centrum Chamber Music Workshop in Port Townsend, WA. Previously a member of the Chicago-based Akros Piano Trio, Byron appeared live on WFMT Chicago’s “Introductions.” Previously, Byron was one of eight Young Artists selected from across the country for the 2014 McDuffie Center Labor Day Chamber Music Festival in Macon, Georgia, and he attended the Meadowmount School of Music for three summers, studying with Amy Barlowe and Gerardo Ribeiro.

Byron performed in many ensembles at Jacobs School of Music, including the Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra, and University Orchestra, holding leadership positions and performing in multiple opera and ballet productions. He was selected twice for the Chicago Youth in Music Festival Orchestra, where he worked with Maestro Riccardo Muti. Byron has also performed in the Chautauqua Music School Festival Orchestra, and served as co-concertmaster of the Portland Youth Philharmonic and Camerata PYP. He performed at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago and appeared on TEDx, both with PYP, and toured Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony.

From the age of 12, Byron has undertaken specialized study in historical performance, taking masterclasses with the late Dutch baroque specialist Jaap Schröder, and renowned British violinist Monica Huggett. Byron studied early French and German period music in the Baroque orchestra at Jacobs School of Music under the direction of Ingrid Matthews, and early Italian repertoire and Handel operas with “I Ragazzi,” a fluid Portland-based baroque group under the direction of David Kerr.

Byron recently graduated with high distinction from Indiana University, earning Bachelor’s degrees in violin performance and international studies. At Jacobs School of Music, Byron studied under a full-tuition Jacobs Scholar Award with Distinguished Rudy Professor of Music Mauricio Fuks. At the Hamilton Lugar School of International Studies, Byron undertook seminars and research on international human rights law, refugee studies, climate change, environmental and conflict economics, and gender-based violence, and was awarded a Founders Scholar Award for academic excellence. Byron was selected from across the entire University to join a small group of high-achieving students to attend conferences and discussions in Washington, D.C. with social justice advocacy groups including the Council on American Islamic Relations, Black Lives Matter, and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

Previously, Byron was the Sage Academy Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, a training center for advanced pre-college musicians, where he studied with Almita and Roland Vamos. Originally from Portland, OR, Byron began violin studies at age 10 with Lucia Conrad, and studied with Kathryn Gray for 7 years, as well as periodically with Paul Kantor in Houston.