Mezzo-soprano Leah Wool is the recipient of a Sullivan Foundation Award, a Second Place Winner in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competition, and subsequently made her Alice Tully Hall debut in the Foundation’s gala concert. A two-time Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she has also received the Judith Raskin Memorial Award from Santa Fe Opera and is a First-Place Winner of the Amici Vocal Competition. She is also a recipient of the Presser Award, a prestigious study grant from The Presser Foundation and the Yale School of Music.
In the 2023-2024 season, Ms. Wool makes a return to the Defiant Requiem Foundation in recital, singing a world premiere of Jewish-American composer Gerald Cohen’s new song cycle. Last season featured an appearance with OnSite Opera and the Defiant Requiem Foundation as the Trommler in Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis at Zankel Hall, the proceeds of which benefitted Holocaust Survivors. The mezzo was also heard in performances of Handel's Messiah with North Carolina Symphony and in a concert of songs highlighting composer Errollyn Wallen with New York Festival of Song.
Most recently, Leah Wool joined the San Francisco Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony and Jacksonville Symphony for Handel’s Messiah, as well the Defiant Requiem Foundation Atlanta for additional performances of Hours of Freedom: The Story of the Terezín Composer. Previously, she returned to Cincinnati Symphony for Bach’s Magnificat, San Francisco Symphony for Handel’s Messiah and Utah Opera as Dorabella in Così fan tutte, made her debut with the Charlotte Symphony for Elijah, returned to Boston Baroque as Holofernes in Juditha Triumphans, debuted with the Nashville Symphony in Mozart’s Requiem, the Phoenix Symphony for Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, and the Defiant Requiem Foundation in Hours of Freedom: The Story of the Terezín Composer.
Grammy nominated for her work as Minerva on Boston Baroque’s recording of Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, Ms. Wool is one of their frequent collaborators, having sung the title role in Handel's Amadigi di Gaula and Amastre in Xerxes with the company, in addition to her return in 2015.
Other notable performances include appearances with the Metropolitan Opera in Suor Angelica, Thaïs, Le nozze de Figaro, and War & Peace; New York City Opera as Delia in Il Viaggio a Reims; Central City Opera as the title role in Massenet's Cendrillon and Erika in Vanessa; Santa Fe Opera as Léoena in La Belle Hélène; Glimmerglass Opera as the Secretary in The Consul; Spoleto Festival USA in Glass’ Kepler and as Betty in Flora; Toledo Opera as Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette; Syracuse Opera as Meg in Little Women; Gotham Chamber Opera as Nancy in Albert Herring and the title role in El gato con botas by Montsalvatge; and The Little Orchestra Society at Avery Fisher Hall as the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors. She has sung Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel with Kentucky Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Newton Symphony. She has also sung Hänsel with Utah Opera where she is a frequent performer, having been heard as Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Karolka in Jenůfa, Kate in The Pirates of Penzance, Wowkle in La Fanciulla del West, and The Sandman in Hänsel und Gretel, a role she has also covered for the Metropolitan Opera.
Ms. Wool is also highly sought after for her extensive experience performing the works of Rossini, having bowed as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Sacramento Opera, Piedmont Opera, Opéra Louisiane, Knoxville Opera, and the Newton Symphony; Angelina in La Cenerentola with Nashville Opera, Knoxville Opera, Orlando Opera, Opera New Jersey, and Opera Fairbanks; Isabella in L'italiana in Algeri with Utah Opera; and the mezzo-soprano soloist in Petite Messe Solennelle with Gloria Musicae.
Equally in demand on the concert stage, Ms. Wool has appeared as the mezzo-soprano soloist for the San Francisco Symphony in Debussy’s The Martyrdom of St. Sebastien and the Duruflé Requiem; the Wiener KammerOrchester under Mark Laycock for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; Gloria Musicae for Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ; Avery Fisher Hall for Copland’s In the Beginning and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; the New Jersey Symphony for Haydn’s Theresienmesse; the Nashville Symphony for Mozart’s Requiem; the Greenwich Choral Society for Duruflé’s Requiem; the New Haven Symphony for Vivaldi’s Gloria; the Manchester Symphony for Bruckner’s Missa Solemnis; and sang Bach’s Magnificat, Stravinsky’s Les Noces, and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass at Yale University. In addition, she has performed Handel’s Messiah for leading orchestras around the country, including the San Francisco Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Utah Symphony and Rochester Chamber Orchestra.
