Sarah Leonard (singer)
Sarah Jane Leonard, MBE (10 April 1953 – 31 October 2024) was an English classical soprano, known for her performances of contemporary classical music by composers such as Helmut Lachenmann, Harrison Birtwistle, Pierre Boulez and Michael Nyman.
Life and career
[edit]Leonard was born in Winchester, and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, after which she joined the BBC Singers and the Endymion Ensemble.[1] She made her debut at La Scala, Milan, in 1989 in the premiere of Dr Faustus by Giacomo Manzoni.[2]
Sarah Leonard taught at the Central School of Speech and Drama and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. She was a member of the Association of Teachers of Singing, the British Voice Association and was Chairman of the Association of English Singers and Speakers.[3]
In January 2013, she was made an Honorary Doctor of Music at the University of Hull.[4] In the 2024 Birthday Honours list she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to music.[5]
She sang the theme tune to Silent Witness called ‘Silencium’ by composer John Harle and on the 2014 album, The Tyburn Tree (Dark London), by John Harle and Marc Almond.
Leonard died from a brain tumour on 31 October 2024, at the age of 71.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Sarah Leonard: biography". All Music.
- ^ "Sarah Leonard (soprano) on Hyperion Records". Hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "The Sorabji Archive — Performers — Sarah Leonard, soprano". Sorabji-archive.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Honorary Graduate Profile: Sarah Leonard". University of Hull.
- ^ "London Gazette No. 64423". 15 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Lebrecht, Norman (1 November 2024). "Famed English Soprano Dies of Brain Tumour". Slipped Disc. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
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