One of the great joys of having so many productions available from the Metropolitan Opera has been the ability to discover the immensely talented mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. On Thursday she will be Live with Carnegie Hall at 2 PM EDT/11 AM PDT on the venue’s website.
The program will find two-time Grammy winner Leonard discussing her career and passions with Zsolt Bognár who hosts Living the Classical Life. She will also be performing on the live-streamed event. Joining Leonard will be pianist Emanuel Ax, soprano Janai Brugger and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon.
Leonard’s roles at the Metropolitan Opera have included Rosina in The Barber of Seville (a role she also performed at LA Opera); Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro; Miranda in Thomas Adés’s The Tempest; Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte; Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Charlotte in Werther.
I first became aware of her when I attended a Met Opera Live in HD screening of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. While the opera happens to be amongst my favorites, this particular production was staggeringly beautiful, truly emotional and Leonard’s singing was glorious.
She also sang the title role in Nico Muhly‘s Marnie when it had its US premiere. Muhly’s opera was streamed on April 30th by The Met. Leonard was stunning once again. As she is in this concert performance of “I See Forio” from Marnie with Muhly at the piano and Nadia Sirota on viola.
Who knows when live performances will resume again. Leonard has multiple bookings on her calendar, but sadly it might be quite some time before we get to see and hear her live in either an opera or a concert.
If you know Leonard and her work, or want to be introduced to her, Thursday’s Live with Carnegie Hall will definitely be something to watch. If, however, the timing doesn’t work out for you, Carnegie Hall archives these programs so you can watch it at your leisure approximately an hour or so after the conclusion of the live stream.
Photo of Isabel Leonard by Fay Fox/Courtesy of Columbia Artists