Paula Lastra-Cancela

Artist Bio

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, awarded by the ICOPR; and the Robert I. Ferdman fellowship, awarded by ProArte Musical. She has performed in masterclasses with Midori, José Francisco del Castillo, 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.