Nicole Laurel Asensio

Isobelle Nicole Laurel Asensio (born July 7, 1986), professionally known as Nicole Asensio, is a Filipino actress, singer and songwriter. After providing lead vocals for all-girl rock band General Luna, she began a solo career and released her first album Schizoprano in 2015. Early life and family A member of the Laurel family, Asensio is the daughter of singer Iwi Laurel. Her maternal grandparents are former Vice President of the Philippines Salvador Laurel (the son of Philippine President Jose P. Laurel), and the singer Celia Diaz-Laurel. She is the first cousin of actress Denise Laurel and niece of theater artist Cocoy Laurel. Her paternal grandmother is famed opera singer Fides Cuyugan-Asensio. Asensio began singing as a child, but “didn’t undergo formal voice lessons like most heirs of musical legends do. Instead, living with her grandmother, mother, and uncle, was enough for her to discover her musicality.” She graduated from De La Salle University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in literature. In 1998, at age twelve, Asensio performed as one of the orphans in her first major production Annie with Repertory Philippines. The following year she performed in another musical (Th