Praised for "her sweet and distinct tone…breathtaking in colour" (Whole Note), Dr. Swinden embraces a multi-faceted career as a performer, pedagogue, and scholar. Laurel has been an invited performer and teacher in Argentina, Peru, Belgium, National Flute Association Conventions (USA), the Sichuan Conservatory (China), Canadian Flute Conventions, International Festival of Books and Arts (USA) and the Perimeter Institute (CAN).

Dr. Swinden's Celebrating Women! and Celebrating Canadian Women! recordings with pianist Stephanie Mara promote works for flute by women composers, funded by the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council and Waterloo Region Arts Council and can be heard on Spotify, Naxos and CBC Music. She was an Artistic Advisor and performer of an International Online Festival of Flute Music by Women Composers (2022) funded by FACTOR and the Canada Council. As part of the Flute New Music Consortium, Laurel co-commissions and premieres new works for flute.

In addition to positions as Principal Flute of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Principal Flute/Piccolo of the Scarborough Philharmonic, Dr. Swinden has performed the New World Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Mississippi Symphony, Symphony of the Americas and in Ontario with the London Sinfonia, Kingston Symphony, Windsor Symphony, Toronto Sinfonietta and Etobicoke Philharmonic.

A dedicated teacher, Dr. Swinden teaches Flute at Wilfrid Laurier University, McMaster University, the University of Waterloo and the Laurier Academy of Music and Arts. Laurel serves on the National Flute Association Pedagogy Committee. Past positions include Visiting Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Nebraska Omaha, and adjunct Assistant Professor at Western University. She has served as a juror for the Ontario Arts Council, the NFA Myrna Brown International Scholarship competition Dr. Swinden examines for the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Glenn Gould Professional School and adjudicates at festivals across North and South America.

Dr. Swinden earned her DMA as a Fellowship recipient at the University of Toronto, where she studied with TSO Principal Flute emeritus Nora Shulman, and traverso with Alison Melville.

Laurel performs on a 14K rose gold Burkhart flute and handmade Burkhart piccolo.