Isabel Leonard, Mezzo-Soprano
John Arida, Piano
Sunday, December 1, 2024 | 5 pm
Memorial Hall, OTR
Heralded regular at the Metropolitan Opera
Read Janelle Gelfand's blog post about her here!
Isabel Leonard continues to thrill audiences both in the opera house and on the concert stage. In repertoire that spans from Vivaldi to Mozart to Nico Muhly, she has performed at prominent international venues such as the Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, Salzburg Festival, Carnegie Hall, Glyndebourne Festival, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Metropolitan Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, among others.
Her roles include Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Angelina in La Cenerentola, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Charlotte in Werther, Blanche de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites, Costanza in Griselda, the title roles in La Périchole and Der Rosenkavalier, as well as Sesto in both Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito and Handel’s Giulio Cesare, and Musetta in La bohème.
She has appeared with some of the foremost conductors of her time: Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Seiji Ozawa, Gustavo Dudamel, James Levine, James Conlon, Marin Alsop, Sir Andrew Davis, and Michael Tilson Thomas with the Vienna Philharmonic and major orchestras throughout the U.S. Ms. Leonard, in constant demand as a recitalist, is on the Board of Trustees at Carnegie Hall and the Artistic Advisory Board of ArtSmart. She is a multiple Grammy Award winner. Television and film appearances include Sesame Street and host for The Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD movie theater transmissions.
In 2023, Leonard appeared in the movie Maestro singing with Rosa Feola in the finale of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in C minor "Resurrection", in a reproduction of the famed 1973 performance led by Leonard Bernstein in Ely Cathedral.
Isabel Leonard is the recipient of the Richard Tucker Award and, in honor of her father who died from the disease, has lent her voice to the Prostate Cancer Foundation by filming a public service announcement (PSA).
VIDEOS
John Arida, Piano
Pianist and coach John Arida (MM ’13, collaborative piano) has cultivated relationships with some of classical music’s most esteemed performers both on and off the stage include Julia Bullock, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Samantha Hankey, Christian Van Horn, Isabel Leonard, and Jack Swanson. He has appeared as a collaborative pianist across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico at notable venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Aspen Music Festival, and Tanglewood.
Beyond the concert stage, Arida has assisted many notable conductors including Harry Bicket, Daniela Candilari, John DeMain, Christian Reif, Speranza Scappucci, and Emmanuel Villaume. He has been a member of the music staff of the Santa Fe, Washington National, Central City, and Virginia operas; the Lakes Area Music and Castleton festivals, and Juilliard. A strong supporter of grassroots festivals, Arida was the music director for the inaugural seasons of the Emberlight Festival in Ironwood, Michigan, and the Creede Musical Arts Collective in Creede, Colorado.
Arida has recorded two albums with his frequent collaborator mezzo-soprano Megan Marino. Their first collaboration, The Traveled Road (Ravello Records), featured the music of Evan Mack. Their second, It’s You I Like (Lexicon Classics), contains songs that celebrate childhood. Arida has held fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival and Music Academy of the West. In addition to his studies at Juilliard, he earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from SUNY Purchase.
PROGRAM
"Clavelitos" ................................................. Joaquín Valverde (1875 – 1918)
"Nana de Sevilla" ...................................... Federico García-Lorca (1898 – 1936)
"La Tarara"
"Cinco Canciones Negras" .......................... Xavier Montsalvatge (1912 – 2002)
Cuba dentro de un piano
Punto Habañera
Chévere
Canción de cuna para dormir un negrito
Canto negro
"L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" from Carmen........ Georges Bizet (1838 – 1875)
INTERMISSION
"Tu n'est pas beau" from La Périchole .................................................. Jacques Offenbach (1819 – 1880)
"El dia que me quieras"......................................... Carlos Gardel (1890-1935), arr. Paola Hermosin
"Près des remparts de Séville" from Carmen........ Georges Bizet (1838 – 1875)
“Moments in the Woods” from Into the Woods........ Stephen Sondheim (1930 – 2021)
“Lonely Town” from On the Town..................... Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990)
"The Girl in 14G" .................................................. Jeanine Tesori (1961) and Dick Scanlon (1960)
ENCORES
“Ah! quel diner” from La Périchole ....................... Jacques Offenbach (1819 – 1880)
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"............................... Harold Arlen (1909 –1986)
Photography by Gayna Bassin
