Mark Lawrence

Biography

Based in Bristol, Mark studied music  at Bristol University and later, postgraduate composition and musicology with Rhian Samuel at City University, London. A wide range of commissions have included The Ruin and Strange Service for Voce Chamber Choir, music for BBC Radio Drama and theatre, and the community operas. Coming Home and Time and Tide. Home by Christmas was commissioned for the 2014 centenary of the outbreak of World War I, and was performed by a cast of nearly 500; it was nominated for the British Composer Awards. A sequel, Home at Last, followed in  2018. Mark is also active as a conductor and teacher. He was for a long period music director of CoMA Bristol (in association with Bristol University), and of Cosmos Children’s Choir (for St George's). He is also founder-director (with conductor Suzi Digby) of Music Box Children’s Opera Group in Bristol. He has taught at RWCMD (Cardiff), City, London and Bristol University. Having gained a PhD at City in 2013, Mark continues his research into the choral music of Estonian composer, Veljo Tormis. In 2018 he was awarded the Lady Groves prize by Making Music for his outstanding contribution to music in the community.