Nicole Laurel Asensio

Isobelle Nicole Laurel Asensio, 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 (The Magic Staff) with her grandmother.

Her first musical foray outside theatre was as a founding member of the band Crowjane. General Luna went on permanent hiatus in the last quarter of 2013.

Schizoprano In 2015, under MCA Music, The album merged Asensio's background in theater and classical music with her more recent forays in rock music. Other tracks are collaborations such as the WilabaliW's Ian Tayao on the love song "All in All"; rapper Mike Swift on "Wag (Mo Na Ako Mahalin)"; and her Philpop entry song "A Song on a Broken String". The piano arrangement of another track, "Walang Anuman", was created by Italian composer and friend Diedonne Russo, who gave her a piano riff with a note: “This is my gift to you. Write something in your language.” Asensio teamed up with JC Magsalin of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra to create an orchestral arrangement for the song and e-mailed it to Russo, with a note stating “This is my gift back to you.”

Television series Year Title Role Network Notes 2022 Mano Po Legacy: The Flower Sisters Celeste Villagarcia GMA Network Guest role