PAULA LASTRA-CANCELA
Violin
Paula Lastra-Cancela began her violin studies at age 3 in her native Puerto Rico.
In 2019, she completed her bachelor’s degree at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico under the tutelage of Francisco Cabán, and earned her master’s at the IU Jacobs School of Music, studying with Kevork Mardirossian.
She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Musical Arts degree at Arizona State University, where she studies with Danwen Jiang. Paula has performed as a soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico, and has been awarded distinguished scholarships, including the Shirley Givens Memorial fellowship, where she had the opportunity to perform with the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico under Emilio Colón; and the Robert I. Ferdman fellowship, awarded by ProArte Musical.
She has performed in masterclasses with Midori, José Francisco del Castillo, Federico Agostini, Elisabeth Adkins, and Frank Almond. Paula currently serves as rotating concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra of Arizona State University, and as a teacher for the Harmony Project in Phoenix, in addition to a roster of private students.