Brenda Leach

Concert Organist and Conductor, Brenda Lynne Leach, has performed throughout the USA, Europe, Israel, and Russia. She has appeared as an organ recitalist at world-class venues including Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Westminster Cathedral in London, Moscow Cathedral in Russia, St. George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem, and Riga Dom in Latvia to name a few. She has been a featured artist at numerous festivals including the St. Petersburg International Organ Festival and the Sochi International Organ Festival in Russia. In the USA, she has performed recitals at venues including the Washington National Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, Harvard University, Columbia University, West Point Military Academy, Methuen Memorial Music Hall, Interlochen, Chautauqua, the L’Organo Series at the Spoleto Festival, and at National and Regional AGO conventions. She also has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Brenda Lynne Leach holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music where she studied organ with David Craighead. She won numerous competitions and prizes in Paris including the Premier Prix de Virtuosite and the Premier Prix d’Excellence avec Felicitations from the Conservatoire de Rueil-Malmaison where she studied with Marie-Claire Alain. While living in Paris, she also studied organ with Daniel Roth at St. Sulpice.

Also a conductor, Brenda Lynne Leach has conducted many professional orchestras from the Kennedy Center in Washington DC to the Grand Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. Among her credits as a conductor are acclaimed performances with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the St. Petersburg State Symphony, the Moscow Boys Choir, and the Boston Chamber Orchestra. She studied conducting with Neeme Jarvi, Alexander Polishchuk, and Sir David Willcocks.

Brenda Leach taught on the faculty at Harvard University for 14 years where she was also a conductor and organist. She is currently a Music Professor at Marywood University and maintains a busy performing career as both concert organist and conductor. Brenda Leach is the author of the book, Looking and Listening: Conversations between Modern Art and Music which is published by Rowman and Littlefield. She has recorded extensively for radio broadcasts heard on National Public Radio, Pipedreams (a program of American Public Media) and for WERS and WCRB in Boston. She will be performing several pieces from her CD, Windswept, which was released on the Pro Organo label (www.proorgano.com).