Australian baritone Laurence Meikle completed an acting degree before pursuing studies in music at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2006. Laurence’s interest in opera and concert performance has seen his collaboration with many of Australia’s leading companies and ensembles, including Opera Australia, Victorian Opera, Melbourne Opera, Orchestra Victoria, and the Australian Pops Orchestra.

Laurence recently made his principal debut with Opera Australia as Luiz in The Gondoliers at the Sydney Opera House. He has performed extensively with Melbourne Opera and other Victorian companies, in Don Giovanni (Masetto), Cosi fan tutte (Guglielmo), La Bohème (Schaunard), Tosca (Angelotti), Gianni Schicchi (Pinelino), and Madama Butterfly (Commissario). For the 2006 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, he performed the role of Malatesta in Don Pasquale. Other roles include Der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte for Australian National University, Canberra; King Melchoir in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, and roles in chamber operas such as Menotti’s The Telephone, Barber’s A Hand of Bridge and Michael Easton’s The Obelisk.

Laurence has performed many sacred works with leading orchestras and choirs, including The Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, The Zelman Symphony, Camerata Orchestra, The London Festival Orchestra, e21, Melbourne Opera Orchestra and Ludovico’s Band. These include the solo parts in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation masses, Berlioz’ L’enfant du Christ, Verdi’s Stabat Mater, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle, Schubert’s “Great” Mass in Eb, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Easton’s Symphony for Unsung Heroes, Monteverdi’s Eighth Book of Madrigals, and several of Bach’s cantatas.

Laurence has an extensive repertoire of Lieder, and has given recitals for the National Trust’s “Music in Historic Venues” series, The Opera Society, The Austral Salon of Music Arts and Literature, The Lieder Society of Victoria, 3MBS and 2MBS Radio, ABC Radio and Radio National. Forthcoming engagements include Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the VCA Symphony Orchestra and further work with Victorian Opera and Opera Australia throughout 2008.