Laura Dean,( NCTM, M.M. Music Education)
is an accomplished pianist, educator, author, and performer whose career spans more than three decades, reaching audiences across the United States, Europe, and Mexico. Originally from Montana and based in Seattle, she performs, teaches, writes, records, and presents concerts, and music education workshops.

A passionate traveler, Laura draws inspiration from journeys near and far, collecting stories, photographs, and music that enrich her performances and educational programs. She is the author of Music in the Westward Expansion: Songs of Heart and Place on the American Frontier (McFarland, 2022) and creator of Hear It, Sing It, Move It: A North American Folk Song Collection (2018). Her recordings include Romanza de Amor (2011), featuring works by Manuel M. Ponce, and Women with a Past (2015), highlighting piano works by women composers from the Baroque through the twentieth century.

Her K–12 and community outreach offers immersive learning—teaching the folk songs of Mexico, the dances of Cuba, and more—while her solo programs blend piano and guitar music, vocal selections, narratives, and photographs. Her work has reached over 3,000 students and community members in Seattle and beyond.