Melbourne-based viola da gamba specialist Laura Vaughan is one of Australia’s most engaging and expressive early music performers. Known for her vivid musicianship and warm stage presence, she has become a dynamic voice within the country’s early music scene.

After studies with Miriam Morris at the University of Melbourne and with Wieland Kuijken and Philippe Pierlot at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Laura forged a vibrant performing career across Australasia. A versatile musician, she moves fluently between the viola da gamba, violone, lirone, and baryton, performing an expansive repertoire that spans centuries.

Alongside her deep commitment to historical performance practice from the 16th to mid-18th centuries, Laura is an advocate for new music written for these remarkable instruments, inspiring contemporary composers to explore their  luminous, intimate sound world.

Laura appears regularly on ABC Classic FM as both soloist and chamber musician, and her recordings — including solo releases on the Move and Paladino labels — have been widely praised. She collaborates frequently with leading Australian ensembles such as the Orchestra of the Antipodes, Van Diemen’s Band, Genesis Baroque, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Adelaide Baroque, Accademia Arcadia, and Consortium. She is also a founding member of the multiple ARIA Award–nominated trio Latitude 37 and the Gryphon Baryton Trio.  Laura has performed with major orchestras including the Tasmanian, Melbourne, and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, and the Auckland Philharmonia, and beyond the stage she teaches at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, inspiring a new generation of early music performers.

Since 2026, Laura has been appointed Artistic Director of the Ballarat Organs & Fine Music Festival.

When not immersed in the world of viols, Laura enjoys time with her two children, her Tibetan Spaniels Abelard and Heloise, and a Melbourne coffee.