Lawrence Durkin was born in 1982 in Barnet, North London and began playing the cello at the age of 10. He made his concerto debut in 2003 performing Haydn's Concerto in C with the London Pro Arte Orchestra. Since then he has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across the U.K.  He completed his studies with Leonid Gorokhov at the Royal College of Music as a Scholar supported by the Constant and Kit Lambert Award, Jacqueline Ward Award and the Astor Award. He received First-Class Honours for his Undergraduate studies, also at the RCM, having studied with Melissa Phelps and Moray Welsh.  He has performed in master-classes to Alexander Baillie, Steven Doane, Johannes Goritzki, Louise Hopkins and Richard Lester.

Until 2009 Lawrence was the cellist in the Harpham String Quartet whose performing highlights included appearances at the Wigmore Hall, Fairfield Halls and Rachmaninov Hall, Moscow. They also gave recitals at the Harrogate International Festival, Stratford-on-Avon Festival, Mostly Mozart Festival, King's Lynn Festival, Chichester Festival, Leeds Castle, Honiton Festival and other music societies in the UK. During his time with the quartet he worked regularly with other prestigious musicians including Emma Johnson, Janet Hilton, the Chilingirian Quartet and the Bochmann Quartet. In 2007 they were selected as Young Artists by the Park Lane Group and performed in the New Year Series 2008 at the Purcell Room.  

 He now gives recitals with the Janos String Trio who recently performed at the Leeds International Chamber Music Series, St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh and St. James Piccadilly, London.

Other highlights of his career to date have been when he was joined by former BBC Young Musician Mark Simpson during a concert of works by Mark-Anthony Turnage that was recorded and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2008.  During the previous year, he performed the Swan, the cello solo by Saint-Saens which accompanied the youngest of the Royal Ballet's principals, Marianela Nunez in her performance of the Dying Swan at the Grand Opera House in York.

Lawrence currently teaches at St. Georges College in Surrey, Latymer School in Edmonton and Dame Alice Owens School in Hertfordshire. He is enormously passionate about teaching and encouraging players of all ages to discover and develop their own talent and musicianship.
 
He plays a cello made in Paris by Charles Buthod circa 1880.