Laura Aswad is originally from Binghamton, New York. She received her B.A. in Theater from the State University of New York at Binghamton. From 1989 to 1993 she was the senior associate at International Production Associates, a management and production company in New York. While at IPA, she coordinated domestic and international tours for such artists as Sankai Juku, Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble, Diamanda Galas and Spalding Gray. She was also tour manager for international and domestic tours of Koyaanisqatsi Live and Powaqqatsi Live by Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble, Hydrogen Jukebox by Philip Glass, Allen Ginsberg and Jerome Sirlin and the 1992 world tour of Einstein on the Beach by Robert Wilson and Philip Glass. From 1990 to 1993, she was the associate producer of Lincoln Center's Serious Fun! Festival. From 1993 to 1995, she was company manager for Meredith Monk/The House Foundation for the Arts. She was responsible for all domestic and international of Meredith Monk solo concerts, ensemble tours and music-theater works. From 1996 to 2004 she was producer of the Lincoln Center Festival, the international summer performing arts festival. She has produced numerous productions for the Festival in all genres of the performing arts. Particular highlighted productions she produced include: The Peony Pavilion, the 20-hour Chinese opera presented in 1999, and Ta'ziyeh, a music drama from Iran in 2002. She is an expert in providing immigration/visa services, booking both domestically and internationally, producing live performances in all genres of the performing arts, consulting, programming, producing festivals, and strategic planning. Having toured extensively throughout the United States and internationally, she can provide comprehensive touring and company management consulting services for artists and companies. Laura has been an adjunct faculty member of NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, where she has taught a course on "Planning Performing Arts Festivals.