Lauren Dykstra is a freelance violinist and teaching artist. She was born and grew up in Amiskwaciwâskahikan/ 

ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, also known as Edmonton, Alberta, on Treaty 6 Territory in Canada/Turtle Island. 

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 She received a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from The King’s University College ('11), and a Master of Music in Violin Performance and Literature from Brandon University ('13). Lauren attended intensive summer programs at the Orford Centre de Arts  and The Banff Centre and participated in masterclasses with the Penderecki String Quartet, Tafelmusik, and the nationally acclaimed Canadian violinist James Ehnes. In 2025, she attended the Starling-Delay Symposium on Violin Studies at Juilliard. 

 

As an active musician, Lauren has performed throughout the prairie provinces. She has played with the Brandon Chamber Players, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, the Grande Prairie Boys Choir, the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, in addition to a variety of freelance gigs including live movie soundtracks, weddings, long-term care facility recitals, and corporate events.

 

Lauren is an advocate for accessible music education, social justice, and community. She taught with Community Music Initiatives, a non-profit organization that provides quality music education to rural communities. She provided artistic leadership and coached students for over a decade with the Youth Orchestra of Northern Alberta (YONA) Sistema, an El Sistema inspired program run by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. As part of her role with YONA, Lauren developed a YONA site at Alexander First Nation, one of only three El Sistema-inspired sites in partnerships with Nations on Turtle Island/Canada. Lauren serves as Network Steward for the Sistema Canada Network. 

 

Lauren maintains a significant studio of violin and and piano students, and is a certified member of the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) and of the Alberta Registered Music Teachers Association (ARMTA). She teaches violin from beginner to advanced, piano from beginner to intermediate, and all levels of music theory and history. 

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