Laurie Ashworth

Soprano, Laurie Ashworth was born in Wigan, Lancashire.

Laurie has established herself as a highly sought-after concert artist, specialising in oratorio, recital and recording, which she combines with a busy teaching career.

Laurie commenced her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Caroline Crawshaw. She graduated with first class honors and was awarded the RNCM Gold Medal, the college’s highest accolade 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.

In 2010 following an acclaimed performance of Jonathan Dove’s song Full Fathom Five, Laurie was awarded the Song Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards. 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.

Laurie has performed at all of the UK’s major venues, making her Wigmore Hall recital debut in 2014 and her BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall in 2012. 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) and she has worked extensively with Chilcott.

Laurie has a busy teaching practice and she is head judge for the BBC Young Chorister of the Year Competition. Following her tuition at school and undergraduate level, many of her students have gone on to study at institutions including the RNCM, RCM, Laine Theatre Arts, Bird College and Urdang.  

In 2017, Laurie co-founded the vocal duo Eterni Amici with saxophonist Spencer Moran. The duo performed regularly on Viking Ocean Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Fred Olsen Cruise Line. Since having her little girl, Hannah in 2021, Laurie has focused on concert work, recitals and corporate events. She has performed numerous times at Wigan Athletic FC and Wigan Warriors matches, and she recently sang at the launch of the new Pagani exhibition at Rolls Royce in Wilmslow. Laurie performs regularly at weddings and funerals nationwide.

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