Christopher Laughlin was born in 1958 and raised in the Chicago suburb of Park Forest, Illinois. He began his guitar studies at the age of 14 with Richard Pick in Chicago.  He attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in 1980.  His instructors at Peabody were Ray Chester and Aaron Shearer. In 1984 he received a Master of Music degree from Yale University, where he studied with Robert Guthrie.  On finishing his studies at Yale he was awarded a Fulbright grant and an Annette Kade Scholarship to study in Paris with Uruguayan guitarist Betho Davezac. He continued his studies for a second year on a scholarship from the French government.

 In 1985, while still living in Paris, Laughlin made a short concert tour of Tunisia under the auspices of the United States Information Service. The success of these concerts established a long-lasting relationship between Laughlin and the U.S.I.S. that has resulted in four international tours and performances in the following countries:  Portugal, Greece, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Doha, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Haiti, Austria, The Czech Republic, Romania, Cyprus, Yugoslavia, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, and Bolivia.

 Also while living in Paris, Laughlin won prizes in two international guitar competitions, those of the village of Sable-Sur-Sarthe, in 1986, and of the Union des Femmes Artistes Musiciennes, in 1985.

 Christopher Laughlin returned to Chicago in 1986. Since then he has soloed with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the St. Joseph Pro Musica in performances of the Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra of Villa-Lobos; with the Symphony of the Shores, Westshore Symphony, the LaPorte County Symphony, and the Northwest Chicago Symphony in performances of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez; and also with the Symphony String Quartet in performances of the Quintet for Guitar and String Quartet by Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He has made numerous live broadcasts on Chicago's WFMT radio, including three Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, two Continental Bank Concerts, and five "Live from Studio 1" broadcasts.  He also frequently gives recitals in the Chicago area.

 Christopher Laughlin joined the roster of Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates in 1987. He has been a featured performer at colleges, universities, and small communities throughout the Midwest region since then. He has also performed recitals in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Ann Arbor, Toledo, Washington, and New Haven, CT. His recitals have been broadcast on radio stations KUSC-Los Angeles, WETA-Washington, and all across North America on the WFMT satellite network. He has released two recordings on Peregrine Records, Danza! (1994) and Simplicio (1998).

Christopher Laughlin teaches at the Christopher Laughlin School of Music in Northbrook, IL.