Dr. Lauren Harding joined the ETSU Department of Music in the fall of 2025. She is principal horn of the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra and a sought-after clinician and teacher in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.  An award-winning soloist, her previous awards include the Southeast Horn Workshop’s Collegiate Solo Competition, WVU’s College of Creative Arts Young Artists’ Competition, and Midsouth Horn Workshop’s Graduate Solo Competition. She has held positions with the Kansas City Civic Orchestra, Saint Joseph Symphony, and has recently subbed with Symphony of the Mountains and Augusta Symphony. 

Dr. Harding has taught music courses at West Virginia University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and at Emory & Henry University as an adjunct instructor. She has presented and/or performed at various conferences such as the Southeast Horn Workshop, Midsouth Horn Workshop, and the International Horn Symposium. 

Previously, Dr. Harding was the Executive Director of the Student Success Center at Emory & Henry University. Her specialty at E&H was to work with students to build fundamental study and organizational skills and collaborate with faculty and staff to better serve students. She taught collegiate developmental courses each semester and collaborated with the E&H Music Department as a member of the faculty brass ensemble. While at Emory & Henry, Dr. Harding won the Blue and Gold Award that recognizes a staff member’s exemplary service and dedication to the university. 

Dr. Harding has degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and West Virginia University. Her teachers have included Marty Hackleman, Bob Lauver, Dr. Virginia Thompson, Dr. Katie Johnson-Webb, and Calvin Smith.