Laura Conway
Cornetist and Private Brass Tutor
​
​
Laura Conway hails from Littleborough, a small village in Lancashire with a strong brass band tradition. Surrounded by a family that thrived for brass, Laura was introduced to the cornet at the very early age of three and was tutored mainly by her parents. By the age of 13 she had become Principal Cornet of the multi National and European award-winning Wardle Academy Youth Band lead by Conductor and Uncle, Lee Rigg. Laura held this position for six years and gained vast experience performing in some of the U.K.’s leading concert venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Symphony Hall, Bridgewater Hall and The Sage, to name a few, as well as performing overseas in the European Youth Brass Band Championships in Germany and France.
After completing her A-levels, in August 2016 Laura moved to Norway to study a one-year brass band course at Manger Folkehøgskule, near the city of Bergen. Here she was tutored by Jane Westervik and Henning Anundsen who were both previous Principal Cornet players of Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag. Her highlights as Principal Cornet with the Manger Folkehøgskule Brass Band include a concert at the Grieg Hall with guest soloist Adam Rapa and Conductor Bjørn Sagstad and the band’s England tour where she was a featured soloist. In her spare time, Laura travelled to Bergen to play for Manger Musikklag and held the Repiano Cornet and Solo Cornet seats. She performed with the band in Norway’s most prestigious contests – the Norwegian Nationals at the Grieg Hall and Siddis Brass in Oslo and was conducted by Rune Hannisdal, Peter Szilvay and Martin Winter.
Currently completing her second year of undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Laura is studying with leading virtuosos of the cornet Richard Marshall and Dr. Roger Webster. Whilst at the College she has also received tuition from David King, Alexis Demailly and John Miller. Performance highlights so far include appearances with the RNCM Brass Band at London’s Regent Hall and the RNCM Concert Hall as well as completing projects with the RNCM Wind Orchestra and Symphony Chorus. Laura also takes part in regular Chamber Music activities as part of her studies and has received quartet coaching from James Gourlay and David King in addition to participating in performance masterclasses lead by Nick Thompson and Simone Rebello.
​
Alongside her studies at the RNCM, Laura joined the Fairey Band on Repiano Cornet in August 2017. During her time with the band she performed at one North West Regional Brass Band Championships, two British Opens and two National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall. Furthermore she was regularly featured as soloist at concerts on both cornet and flugelhorn and took part in the 2018 European Brass Band Championships in Utrecht, Holland. In October 2018 Laura fulfilled a lifelong dream and accepted the invitation to join the world famous Black Dyke Band. Looking forward to the band’s busy concert, contest and recording schedule she will be making international appearances in Switzerland and Japan in 2019.
Laura is also a highly-respected brass tutor. In Summer 2018 she was an assistant tutor on the Fermanagh Tyrone Brass Band Summer School in Northern Ireland, working and performing alongside cornet tutors Kathleen Gaspoz and Brian Taylor and other world-leading instrumentalists including Owen Farr and Les Neish. She also tutors privately across the North West with students ranged from beginners to A-level and prepares and enters students for ABRSM and Trinity Grade Examinations.
​
In December 2018, Laura received the Chandos Bursary Award through long term supporters of the Black Dyke Band, enabling her to take part in the International Brass Band Summer School, Swansea in the Summer of 2019.
​
​
​