Isabel Leonard
Isabel Leonard(born February 18, 1982)[1]is an Americanmezzo-sopranoopera singer based in New York City. She is of Argentine ancestry on her mother's side.[2]
Education
[edit]Leonard was born in New York City. For five years she sang with theManhattan School of Musicchildren's chorus. She attended theJoffrey BalletSchool.[3]She is a graduate ofThe Cathedral School of St. John the Divineand theFiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.She earned herBachelor of MusicandMaster of Musicdegrees at theJuilliard School,where she was a pupil of Edith Bers. She has also studied withMarilyn Horne,Brian Zeger, Warren Jones, and Margo Garrett. She is a 2005 winner of theMarilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition.In 2006, she receivedThe Licia Albanese-Puccini FoundationAward. She was also chosen as a recipient of a Movado Future Legends award in 2006. In 2013, she received theRichard Tucker Music FoundationAward.
Career
[edit]In New York, Leonard has performed with theChamber Music Society of Lincoln Center[4]and with the Juilliard Opera Center.[5]Her first appearance with theNew York Philharmonicwas in a concert version ofLeonard Bernstein'sCandide,and she later sang the part of the Squirrel inL'enfant et les sortilègesin concert with the orchestra andLorin Maazel.[6]In February 2007, Leonard made her professional operatic stage debut as Stéphano inRoméo et Juliette.[2]In September 2007, she made herMetropolitan Operadebut in the same role.[7]Leonard made her debut withSanta Fe OperaasCherubinoin 2008.[8]Her commercial recordings include a DVD recording for Euroarts as Dorabella in the 2009Salzburg Festivalproduction ofCosì fan tutte.[9]On April 26, 2014, Leonard sang the role of Dorabella in a performance at the Metropolitan Opera that was transmitted worldwide as part of theMetropolitan Opera Live in HDprogram. In February 2011, Leonard made herVienna State Operadebut singing Cherubino inLe nozze di Figaro,returning to the venue in January 2012 as Rosina inIl barbiere di Siviglia.2014 to 2016 Leonard andSharon Isbinperformed a well-received series of eleven soprano/guitar-duet recitals,[10]including atZankel Hall(Carnegie Hall).[11]Leonard sang the lead role in the American premiere ofMarnieat the Met in New York in October 2018.[12]
In 2023, Leonard appeared in the movieMaestrosinging withRosa Feolain the finale ofGustav Mahler'sSymphony No. 2in C minor "Resurrection", in a reproduction of the famed 1973 performance led byLeonard BernsteininEly Cathedral.[13][14]
Awards
[edit]Leonard won twoGrammy Awards for Best Opera Recording:in 2014forThomas Adès'The Tempest,andin 2016forMaurice Ravel'sL'enfant et les sortilèges.In2021she won theGrammy Award for Best Classical CompendiumforFrom the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke,conducted byMichael Tilson Thomas.
Personal life
[edit]Her grandfatherCarlos Guimard(1913–1998) was an Argentine chessgrandmaster.[15]Leonard marriedbaritoneTeddy Tahu Rhodesin December 2008; they divorced around 2013.[16]Leonard raises their son, Teo, born 17 May 2010.[3]
Repertory
[edit]- Stéphano inRoméo et Juliette,2007 (Met debut)[17]
- Rosina inThe Barber of Seville
- Angelina (Cinderella) inLa Cenerentola
- Cherubino inLe nozze di Figaro
- Sextus inGiulio Cesare,2011
- Miranda inThe Tempest
- Dorabella inCosì fan tutte
- Zerlina inDon Giovanni
- Charlotte inWerther
- Donna Elvira in "Don Giovanni" 2017 (Avec le Cercle d'Harmonie, Director Jeremie Rhonen Festival d'art lyrique D'Aix en Provence France July 2017)
- Blanche de la Force inDialogues des Carmélites[18]
- Marnie inMarnie[19]
- Mélisande inPelléas et Mélisande[20]
- Songbird inSongbird(adapted fromLa Périchole)[21]
References
[edit]- ^Hall, Trish(January 26, 1989)."Child Care, as Seen by Children".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
- ^abDriscoll, F. Paul (March 2008)."Sound Bites: Isabel Leonard".Opera News.72(9).RetrievedNovember 20,2010.
- ^abShattuck, Kathryn (November 12, 2010)."It's Not Over Till the Svelte Mama Sings".The New York Times.RetrievedAugust 16,2016.
- ^Eichler, Jeremy (November 15, 2005)."A Mozart Clan: Nice Sounds Veiled by One Celestial Note".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
- ^Holland, Bernard(November 18, 2006)."A U.P.S. Man Joins Offenbach's Gods and Goddesses".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
- ^Tommasini, Anthony(October 7, 2006)."Childhood Fantasies, Without All the Cutesy".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
- ^Midgette, Anne(September 27, 2007)."The Lovers of Verona, Swaggering and Soaring".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
- ^Tommasini, Anthony(August 4, 2008)."From Handel, Faithlessness and Devotion".The New York Times.RetrievedAugust 16,2008.
- ^Opera Todayreviewof Euroarts DVD ofCosì fan tutte
- ^Brookes, Stephen (March 25, 2015)."Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard shines with guitarist Sharon Isbin".The Washington Post.RetrievedAugust 20,2016.
- ^Schweitzer, Vivien (November 13, 2015)."Isabel Leonard and Sharon Isbin in a Duet of Voice and Guitar".The New York Times.RetrievedAugust 20,2016.
- ^Woolfe, Zachary (November 22, 2017)."Review: Nico Muhly'sMarnieBrings Hitchcock Into the 21st Century ".The New York Times.
- ^Woolfe, Zachary (December 22, 2023)."'Maestro' Won't Let Leonard Bernstein Fail ".New York Times.RetrievedDecember 29,2023.
- ^Doyle Moor, Emily (November 20, 2023)."Maestro musings".Sante Fe Opera.RetrievedDecember 29,2023.
- ^@isabelleonardny (October 12, 2020)."Post by Isabel Leonard about her ancestral village of Santiago Del Estero, Argentina and her chess-champion grandfather".RetrievedOctober 17,2020– viaInstagram.
- ^Tischler, Gary (April 19, 2018)."Isabel Leonard WNOs Rosina".Georgetowner.RetrievedApril 19,2018.
- ^"Isabel Leonard".
- ^Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Dialogues des Carmélites to conclude his first season as Met Music Director. April 19th, 2019
- ^Cunning Little Vixen
- ^Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts a rare revival of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, opening January 15. December 14th, 2018
- ^[1]
External links
[edit]- Official website
- "Movado Future Legends Honors Five Emerging Artists",Jazz News
- Cherubino: "Non so più"onYouTube,fromThe Marriage of Figaro,Metropolitan Opera, 2014
- Living people
- American operatic mezzo-sopranos
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
- 1982 births
- Richard Tucker Award winners
- Singers from New York City
- American people of Argentine descent
- Manhattan School of Music alumni
- Juilliard School alumni
- 21st-century American women opera singers
- Grammy Award winners
- Music Academy of the West alumni
- Classical musicians from New York (state)
- Marilyn Horne Song Competition winners