Laurie Ashworth was born in Wigan, Lancashire. She studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she won numerous prizes including the RNCM Gold Medal, the college’s highest award for performance. In 2008 she completed her Masters at the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Patricia Rozario and Janis Kelly. Since being 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 made numerous appearances on BBC2’s Friday Night is Music Night. She has also appeared with Opera Project, Opéra de Dijon, Grange Park Opera and Wexford Festival Opera.