Laurence was born in Liverpool in 1966 into a family of professional musicians. He began playing the French horn at the age of nine whilst a chorister at New College in Oxford.

    Having learnt privately with Tony Halstead, Laurence was awarded a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he continued his studies with Hugh Seenan and Tony Chiddell.

    After graduating, Laurence pursued a busy freelance career in London performing with most of the U.K.’s leading orchestras and ensembles before joining the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1997.

    As Principal Horn of the Philharmonia, Laurence has enjoyed a busy schedule performing in the world’s leading concert halls with the most prestigious soloists and conductors. In August 2000 Valery Gergiev invited Laurence to play principal horn in the World Orchestra for Peace in their highly acclaimed concert for the BBC Proms and he is regularly asked to be guest principal with many of the U.K.’s orchestras.

    Laurence is in regular demand as a chamber musician and has performed with the Philharmonia Wind Quintet (of which he is a member), LSO Brass quintet, London Winds, the Radeztky Ensemble and the Philharmonia’s many other associated chamber groups.

    As a soloist, Laurence has particularly enjoyed performing Benjamin Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with some of England’s finest tenors including Ian Bostridge at the City of London Festival, Ian Partridge in the Wigmore Hall, Charles Daniel, and Philip Langridge at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. In September 2004 he gave his concerto debut at the Royal Festival Hall performing Bayan Northcott’s Horn concerto with the Philharmonia. He has also regularly performed Mozart’s 4th Horn Concerto at home and, in 2002, at the final concert of the Seychelles International Music Festival. Laurence is also one of the soloists on Deutsche Gramaphon’s highly acclaimed recording of Schumann’s Konzertstuck for 4 Horns with Christian Thieleman and the Philharmonia and on Cala Record’s much loved ‘The London Horn Sound’. As a Philharmonia player Laurence has been featured particularly on Telarc’s recording of Mahler 5 with Benjamin Zander and on Opera Rara’s recording of Rossini’s Othello with David Parry.

    Laurence is also regularly invited to London’s main music colleges (the Guilhall School of Music, the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music) where he has given master-classes, individual lessons and adjudicated final recitals. He also teaches privately at home.

    In the coming month’s Laurence is due to perform Britten’s serenade with Mark Padmore at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Schumann’s Konzertstuck with Andras Schiff and the Philharmonia also at the QEH.

    Laurence also has a busy career in London’s studios recording for film, TV, and Radio.