Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Lavena’s parents started her on cello at age 6, but she didn’t take to the instrument until her father gave her a CD of Jacqueline du Pré performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto. Inspired by du Pré’s incredible sound and fearless bravura, Lavena fell in love with the cello. After finishing her studies at the Peabody Conservatory Lavena became a founding member of The Atlas String Quartet, which made the semifinals of The Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2014. After achieving her lifelong dream of making it to Fischoff, a period of reflection transpired which sent Lavena down an even more adventurous path. In Baltimore, she quickly found herself entrenched in the city's new music scene. Through the Evolution Series, Lavena was able to work with and perform solo and chamber music by artists such as Bryce Dessner, Jessie Montgomery, Caroline Shaw, and Julia Wolfe. In 2016, Lavena challenged herself to learn Michael Hersch’s first and second Sonatas for Unaccompanied Cello. After performing both of these brutal pieces in a single evening, Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun wrote: “The [First] Sonata suggests a haunted poem, and Johanson communicated its rare imagery in an intense, virtuosic performance.” Lavena has also toured as a cellist with the indie rock band Ra Ra Riot, playing to sold-out crowds at the 9:30 Club (Washington, DC), The House of Blues (Cleveland, OH), and Lincoln Hall (Chicago, IL).