Laurie Ashworth

Laurie grew up in Wigan, Lancashire. She developed an interest in music from a young age and began playing the piano aged 3.

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Laurie commenced her formal music training at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she studied with Caroline Crawshaw. She graduated with first class honours and was awarded the college’s coveted Gold Medal for performance. Awards from The Arts and Humanities Research Council and The Countess of Munster Musical Trust enabled Laurie to complete her Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Patricia Rozario and Janis Kelly, graduating with distinction.

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Over the years, Laurie has developed a diverse repertoire, specialising in oratorio, recitals and recording, with some Sondheim thrown in! She has performed at all of the UK’s major venues, making her BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall in 2012 and her Wigmore Hall recital debut in 2014. In 2010, she was awarded the Song Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, and in the same year she was a finalist and runner-up in BBC Radio 2’s The Kiri Prize; a nationwide search by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the BBC to find a new operatic star. She has appeared regularly in broadcasts for BBC Radio 2 and 3, and Songs of Praise, in a variety of repertoire ranging from opera arias to musical theatre and wartime songs made famous by Dame Vera Lynn. Laurie features as the soprano soloist on the premiere recordings of Bob Chilcott’s Requiem (Hyperion Records) and St John Passion (Signum Records). Laurie has also worked on the soundtracks of numerous films including 'Pan' and 'How to train your dragon.’

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Away from UK shores, in 2017 Laurie co-founded the vocal duo Eterni Amici with saxophonist Spencer Moran. The duo travelled all over the world from the Scottish Highlands to Bora Bora on Viking Ocean Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Fred Olsen Cruise Line.

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Now based in the north-west, Laurie has performed at numerous sporting and corporate events. She is head judge for the BBC Young Chorister of the Year Competition and she combines her performing with a busy teaching career. Following her tuition at school and undergraduate level, many of her students have gone on to study at institutions including the RNCM, RCM, RAM, Cambridge and Oxford Universities with choral scholarships and on performing arts courses at Laine Theatre Arts, Bird College, Urdang and LIPA. 

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