Leslie Ann Leytham is a San Diego-based mezzo-soprano who actively commissions and performs new vocal and multimedia works, and frequently collaborates with composers not only as a performer, but as a producer, director and designer. She has performed as a featured artist with San Diego Opera, CityWater Ensemble (San Francisco), The Industry Opera Company (Los Angeles), WildUp (LA), the Noon 2 Midnight concert marathon produced by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Monday Evening Concert Series (LA), La Jolla Symphony (San Diego), wasteLAnd concert series (LA), Bodhi Tree Concerts (SD), Bach Collegium San Diego and Guerilla Opera (Boston). 

 

Leslie has premiered countless works around the world including the roles of Third Frida in El último sueño de Frida y Diego by Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz (San Diego), Ruth in Aftermath by Nicolas Reveles (SD), Inez in No Exit by Any Vores, and Gretchen in Rumpelstiltskin by Marti Epstein (Boston), Witch in CityOpera’s The Queen of Carthage by Hibbs/Purcell (SD), Marfa in The Heart of a Dog by Rudolf Rojahn (Boston), among others. Ms. Leytham’s creative work has been featured in installation performances at NOWY Teatr (Warsaw), the Mengi (Reykjavik), Space4Art (SD), and Bread & Salt (SD). 

 

Leslie is co-founder and Artistic Director of Project [BLANK], an interdisciplinary experimental concert series in San Diego. With Project [BLANK], Ms. Leytham curates seasons of chamber music, opera, and experimental music in collaboration with local visual artists, musicians, composers, and designers. 

 

Leslie earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Contemporary Music Performance from UC San Diego, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from The Boston Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She has studied voice with Carol Kimball, Dr. Rebecca Folsom, and Sarah Agler, and developed her interdisciplinary work under the guidance of the late violinist János Négyesy, composer Anthony Davis, and video artist Tara Knight.