Born to a family of professional musicians and activists, New York City based multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, voice teacher, and singer/songwriter Laura Wolfe has been singing and making music her entire life, and offering sacred music for over two decades. Laura Wolfe started singing professionally at the ripe age of 5 years old at Lake George Opera where her mother Mimi Stern-Wolfe conductor, concert pianist and artistic director of Downtown Music Productions was employed. Laura began her journey into sacred music at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art in New York City when she joined their famed Gospel Choir. “I know It seems like an unlikely pursuit for the child of Jewish Lefties but all the songs of the civil rights movement, the anti war movement and for that matter so much of the popular music I loved came straight out of the Gospel Church” That led her to join Lavender Light; the Black and People of all colors Lesbian and Gay Gospel Choir and she was a featured soloist on their 2000 release “Light in the House”.
Appearing at venues as varied as Carnegie Hall and Tribeca Performing Arts Center with Lavender Light Gospel Choir, and European Stadiums with the Broadway Road Show of the musical Hair in the late 90‘s Laura Wolfe went on to make a name for herself as a singer songwriter playing all the key venues in New York City such as Joe’s Pub, The Knitting Factory, The Bitter End, and Cornelia Street Cafe with her guitar in hand and a full rock band. Leaving her mark on the Western Kirtan explosion of the early 21st century Laura Wolfe has played with such western kirtan notables as WAH, Dave Stringer, Ananda Rasa, and the Kirtan Rabbi. Laura currently appears at Yoga Centers and Kirtan Festivals locally and abroad with her harmonium, and violin chanting sacred Sanskrit mantras and often collaborating with Lakshmi Marfil Delgado of Lakshmi Latina Music. Laura Wolfe also plays klezmer style violin and sings Hebrew prayer as a core band member of New York City's progressive, fully egalitarian Renewal Synagogue, Romemu.
Laura Wolfe is a true sacred musical artist bringing her style and practice to everything she does. Her eternally bold voice somehow joins folk with gospel, and mantra with soul making her sound transcendent and universal. Her 2012 release Mantra combines her passion for offering sacred music with her gifts as a violinist, harmonium player and singer. “Mantra is a contemplative meditative CD designed to bring the listener into the vast expanses of the heart.”
Her 2005 independent singer songwriter release SIREN, produced with Grammy award winner Steve Addabbo (Suzanne Vega, Toshi Reagan Shawn Colvin) made the finals of NPR’s “All Songs Considered”, and has been supported by College Radio Airplay on over 200 stations and 4 continents. For two years in a row, tracks from the SIREN won honorable mentions in The Billboard World Song Contest; "City Child" in 2006, and "Underworld" in 2007. Laura’s debut SIREN reflects the many musical and cultural influences that have shaped her as an artist. “As an over all style I would call it soulful” (Steve Addabbo).
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