Lara Madden began her violin studies at the age of 3 under the tutelage of Michael Hining in Oak Park, Illinois. She continued to study with Mr. Hining, and was a member of his chamber orchestra the Windy City String Ensemble. She performed at Carnegie Hall with this orchestra at the age of 10.

During her teen years Lara attended the Merit School of Music in Chicago, serving as assistant concertmistress.  In senior year of high school Lara attended the Midwest Young Artists music program, where she served as Concertmistress of the orchestra in a performance of The Planets by Holst.

For the past three summers Lara has attended Meadowmount School of Music in New York under the tutelage of Gerardo Ribeiro. Lara received an Emerging Young Artists Scholarship award to attend Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.  She just finished her freshman year at Indiana and is thrilled to attend Casalmaggiore Music Festival this summer.