From Melbourne, Laurence's first serious exposure to music came when he was involved in the Young ANAM program from 2005 to 2008. Studying with Rita Reichmann, he won the Young Academy Achievement award in 2008 and the junior section of the Yamaha Piano Competition in 2007, before winning the Dorothy Glover Piano Award in 2010.
In 2013, he began full-time studies at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) with Timothy Young as one of the youngest ever students, during which he participated twice in the final of the ANAM Chamber Music Competition and won the prestigious ANAM Directors’ Prize. He was selected to become a Fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music in 2016, and performed with the ANAM Orchestra multiple times as both soloist and director.
Laurence is regularly broadcast on ABC Classic FM and 3MBS FM and has appeared as soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne Youth Orchestra, and with the Australian Ballet. He has performed in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, the Opera Australia Orchestra, with Opera Australia, as well as in recitals at the Melbourne Recital Centre and the Utzon Room series of the Sydney Opera House. His festival appearances include the Bendigo, Brisbane, Bowral, Martinborough, Dunkeld, Brisbane Baroque, Music by the Springs and Melbourne Festivals and he was invited to perform alongside many of Australia’s greatest musicians at the Melbourne Recital Centre’s 10th Anniversary Gala concert. He records for Decca Classics and ABC Classic.
Laurence has a particular passion for chamber music, and has been involved in chamber projects with the Aurora Ensemble, Anthony Marwood, Paavali Jumppanen, Ben Baker, the Australian String Quartet and Kathryn Stott, while his regular duo partners include Suyeon Kang, Grace Clifford, Dale Barltrop, Sophie Rowell and Tim Young. He has also mentored many of Australia's promising young violinists, including Decca Artist Christian Li and Edward Walton, as well as appearing in recital with some of Australia and the world’s top musicians and collaborating with internet stars TwoSet Violin.
Aside from piano, Laurence is also an accomplished harpsichordist, with regular festival and radio appearances across the country. He studied composition and music theory with Richard Gill for many years and was commissioned to write for Victorian Opera's 2012 production of Cinderella, as well as the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra’s 2023 season.
After graduating high school at a young age, he commenced a Bachelor of Science degree at Melbourne University prior to studies at ANAM. He also plays chess, coming second in the 2016 Victorian Chess Championship and was Australian Under 12 and Victorian Junior Champion. During the summer, he becomes an avid cricket fan.
Photo credit: Pia Johnson