Laura Vaughan, viola da gamba, violone
Credit: Albert Comper
Melbourne-based viola da gamba player Laura Vaughan is one of Australia’s most distinctive and engaging early music musicians. Valued for the expressive depth of her playing and her natural warmth on stage, she has become a much-loved presence in the country’s early music community.
Laura studied with Miriam Morris at the University of Melbourne before continuing her training at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Wieland Kuijken and Philippe Pierlot. Since then, she has built a richly varied performing career across Australasia, performing on viola da gamba, violone, lirone and baryton in repertoire that stretches from the Renaissance to the present day.
While deeply grounded in historical performance practice, particularly music of the 16th to mid-18th centuries, Laura is equally passionate about expanding the repertoire for these extraordinary instruments. She works closely with contemporary composers, drawn to the viola da gamba family’s uniquely intimate and expressive sound.
A regular guest on ABC Classic FM, Laura appears frequently as both soloist and chamber musician, and her recordings — including solo albums released on the VdB, Move and Paladino labels — have received wide acclaim. She performs regularly with many of Australia’s leading ensembles, including the Orchestra of the Antipodes, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Van Diemen’s Band, Genesis Baroque, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Adelaide Baroque, and Consortium.
Laura is also a founding member of the ARIA Award–nominated trio Latitude 37 and the Gryphon Baryton Trio. Alongside her work in early music, she has appeared with the Tasmanian, Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Auckland Philharmonia.
Off stage, Laura teaches at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, where she enjoys encouraging and mentoring the next generation of early music performers. In 2026 she was appointed Artistic Director of the Ballarat Organs & Fine Music Festival.
Away from rehearsals and concerts, she loves spending time with her two children, her Tibetan Spaniels Poppea and Heloise, and, naturally, a very good Melbourne coffee.