Laurel Kuxhaus began her music study at the age of 8, when she learned to play the flute. In the 9th grade, when her band director asked for volunteers to learn a new instrument, the oboe, Laurel eagerly volunteered (and then asked, “What’s an oboe?”). In high school, she studied with Treva Womble, principal English hornist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She also played the flute, piccolo, and bass clarinet with the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Marching Band, which won the state championships in both 1994 and 1995, and routinely placed highly in the Bands of America Grand National Competition. Laurel earned a Michigan Competing Bands Association scholarship, and received additional support from the Michigan State University School of Music where she earned a B.A. in Music in 2001. During her time at Michigan State University, she studied with Dan Stolper. She has also occasionally studied with Donald Baker, Jared Hauser and Paige Morgan (Ithaca College).

Laurel has played both the oboe and English horn with numerous ensembles in central and southeastern lower Michigan, including the Plymouth Community Band and Ann Arbor Civic Band. During her time at Michigan State University, she performed with the Concert Band, the Symphony Band, the Wind Symphony, as well as the Campus and Philharmonic Orchestras, in addition to giving several solo and chamber recitals. During her time in Ithaca, NY, she performed with the Cornell University Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, the Ithaca Concert Band, and was a founding member of the Summer Cornell Quintet.

As a soloist, Laurel was featured in Copland’s Quiet City in April, 2003 with the Cornell University Wind Ensemble and performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with the University of Pittsburgh Symphony orchestra in 2004. She performed the Marcello oboe concerto with the North Pittsburgh Philharmonic in October, 2005. In Pittsburgh, Laurel has played both the oboe and English horn with the University of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Philharmonic and participated in the Community Side-By-Side program hosted by the Pittsburgh Symphony in 2004. She also performs with the Edgewood Symphony.

Laurel also earned a B.S. in Engineering Mechanics from Michigan State University in 2001, and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 2003. She recently earned a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, Laurel is a postdoctoral research engineer at Allegheny General Hospital , where her research focuses on orthopaedic biomechanics. She is also adjunct faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and teaches oboe lessons at Johnstonbaugh's Music Center in Bridgeville.