Earlier this year, 23-year-old mezzo soprano Laura Wright - one of the biggest selling classical artists in the UK this decade – stopped halfway round her London Marathon run to sing Jerusalem on Tower Bridge.

Laura is the first to have taken on this remarkable feat of music and sports fusion, and it was to coincide with the release of her stunning EP The Sound of Strength.. The title is apt; not only does Laura boast a pure soprano voice that has seen her sing to the Queen, at major sporting events such as Six Nations, and open for Andrea Bocelli, but she can also lift 130kg.

The concept behind the EP is the body as the ultimate instrument. There are plenty of similarities between athletes and classically trained singers – the need for dedication, being healthy and being prepared to challenge yourself. She has taken this desire to always challenge herself as an inspiration for the EP.

Laura has taken her classical music to a new level with tracks including Puccini’s Nessun Dorma and Barber’s Adagio for Strings, arranged herself and melded to driving beats, with the help of producers Starkey (who has worked with composer Einaudi), Killahurtz and Dan Vinci (who has worked with everyone from Skream, Snoop Dogg and Jesse Ware). Doing so, she created a new sound which melds beauty and power to startling affect.

Fast becoming a familiar face at sporting events, Laura is proud to be the England Rugby team’s first ever-official anthem singer and has sung regularly at the QBE International rugby matches and 6 Nations at Twickenham. Laura has also performed at Rugby League, The Carnegie Challenge Cup Final, WSB Boxing, polo and football including the Carling Cup Final, The Championship Play-off Final, the FA Cup Final and the NFL all at Wembley. Laura sang at the opening and closing ceremonies at the World Triathlon Series in 2013 - as well as competing in the event herself.

Nominated for a Classical Brit Award, Laura went on to receive the PPL Classical Award at the Nordoff Robbins 02 Silver Clef Awards. Alongside Laura’s role at Nordoff Robbins, Laura is also proud to be an Ambassador of Arthritis Research UK, having battled her own debilitating condition at a very young age. Indeed the Royal College of Music’s recent opera graduate, who achieved a first class degree, is undoubtedly Britain’s most exciting young mezzo soprano.