Lauren Spavelko (b. 1989) is a composer, educator, performer, and visual artist whose work invites deeper connection—both within ourselves and with one another. Her music draws on personal stories to reflect the range of human experience, inviting play, joy, resilience, and catharsis.

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She has received commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Johnstone Fund for New Music, the Central Ohio Symphony, and many individual artists and organizations. Her compositions have earned national and international recognition, including the Spoleto Festival’s Young Composers Prize (Italy, Baby Book), the American Prize in Vocal Chamber Music: The Charles Ives Award (From Edna, with Love), and the Ruth Anderson Commission Prize (IAWM, Black Box 2.0). She has also been a finalist for the NATS Art Song Composition Award and the American Prize in Orchestral Music. Her music has reached audiences in the U.S., Italy, Singapore, Vietnam, and Canada.

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Notable works include Baby Book, a song cycle exploring miscarriage, pregnancy, and motherhood; Kéyah, a symphonic collaboration with National Parks Eminent Photographer Frank Lee Ruggles; and Grit, a string orchestra piece frequently performed at honor and all-state festivals.

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An active educator, Spavelko operates her private studio, Musical Life, and teaches at Otterbein University. She holds an M.M. in Composition from the University of Louisville and a B.M. in Music Education from Ohio Wesleyan University, and studied composition with Steve Rouse, Clint Needham, and Jason Bahr.

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Lauren lives and creates in Columbus, Ohio. You can hear her laughing through the city while swing dancing, singing, fiddling, practicing yoga, and making a joyful noise with her circle. Learn more: www.LaurenSpavelko.com