Concertmaster

In November 1990, Laurence received 1st Prize at the 17th International Violin Competition 'Dr Luis Sigall' held in Vina del Mar, Chile and subsequently, he gave concerto and recital performances throughout Chile as well as a recital tour of Argentina.

Since making his Royal Festival Hall debut in 1990, Laurence has forged a highly successful career as a soloist, chamber musician and concertmaster, appearing with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as well as directing the Guildhall Strings, Calgary Festival Orchestra and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. He is regularly invited to guest lead orchestras in both the UK and abroad, including the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Bergen Philharmonic. Guest leading in the 2014/15 season included the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Ballet.

In 2006, he accepted the position of Concertmaster of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), with whom he has appeared as soloist in the Dvořák, Bruch, Brahms' Double and Nielsen concertos, as well as several performances of Vaughan-Williams' The Lark Ascending. Laurence has also directed the CBSO strings on several occasions, including directing performances of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante and Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3. In June 2009 he recorded live the solo violin part in Ein Heldenleben by Richard Strauss, with the CBSO and Andris Nelsons for Orfeo to much critical acclaim.

Between 1994 to 2006, Laurence was leader of the Maggini Quartet, with whom he regularly toured throughout the USA, Canada and Europe to much critical acclaim. Worldwide sales of their recordings for their Naxos English Music series have exceeded 100,000 discs. With the Magginis, Laurence recorded some 23 discs and most notably won the Gramophone Chamber Music Award of  2001, the 2002 Cannes Classical Award, the Diapason d’Or of the Year in France and CHOC award for Le Monde de la Musique (Elgar quartet and piano quintet with Peter Donohoe). They were also nominated for Grammy Awards in both 2004 and 2005 and the Classical Brit Awards Ensemble/Orchestral Album 2002. Their collaboration with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, performing and recording his ten ‘Naxos Quartets’ over a five-year period, was a hugely exciting and unique project and the works were premiered at the Wigmore Hall, as well as the Cheltenham Festival, Oslo Chamber Music Festival and the Purcell Room.

As well as his numerous award-winning recordings with the Maggini Quartet, he has recorded the John Jeffreys Violin Concerto (Meridian) and the Frank Martin Violin Sonata (ASV) with Iain Burnside (piano). Laurence, with the pianist Ashley Wass, has recorded two discs for Naxos of the complete repertoire for violin and piano by Sir Arnold Bax and both discs have received wide critical acclaim throughout the musical press.

Laurence is an Honorary Fellow of both Brunel University, London and Canterbury Christ Church University and he was awarded a fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music in 2013.

Laurence plays a violin made by J. B. Vuillaume, circa 1850.