Leighanne Saltsman was born and raised in rural Dutchess County in New York's Hudson Valley. She began singing in public at age four and by age 17 was accepted into the prestigious Tanglewood pre-conservatory program in Lenox, MA. Her first paid gig was singing with the New York Choral Artists behind the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. Though she started by singing choral music she soon became intrigued by songwriting, jazz, folk and Americana, and after recieving her B.Mus from Oberlin she moved to NYC to begin learning the business of music as a manager at Grassy Hill Entertainment, an affiliate of Judy Collins' Wildflower Records.
In 2008 she made the move to Columbia Artists Management, where she worked with Mark O'Connor and Sharon Isbin, Head of the Guitar Department at Juiliard, among others. In 2012 she took up the ukulele to begin writing her own original songs. Her experience in multi-genre environments has allowed Leighanne to become incredibly versatile, both as a singer and a songwriter, playing and writing in almost every situation imaginable.
Leighanne gigs regularly around the city sitting in with friends' jazz ensembles, singing in classical choruses and also performing her original music. She is a member of Trinity Wall Street's Downtown Voices, and has also been featured on recordings of Brendan Taaffe's shapenote-based Bright Wings Chorus (Brattleboro, VT). She will be recording the remainder of her EP in 2019. In the meantime Leighanne continues her studies with Marguerite Krull. Previous teachers have included Yale School of Music / Manhattan School of Music coach Ted Taylor, and award-winning songwriter Tony Conniff.
In 2008 she made the move to Columbia Artists Management, where she worked with Mark O'Connor and Sharon Isbin, Head of the Guitar Department at Juiliard, among others. In 2012 she took up the ukulele to begin writing her own original songs. Her experience in multi-genre environments has allowed Leighanne to become incredibly versatile, both as a singer and a songwriter, playing and writing in almost every situation imaginable.
Leighanne gigs regularly around the city sitting in with friends' jazz ensembles, singing in classical choruses and also performing her original music. She is a member of Trinity Wall Street's Downtown Voices, and has also been featured on recordings of Brendan Taaffe's shapenote-based Bright Wings Chorus (Brattleboro, VT). She will be recording the remainder of her EP in 2019. In the meantime Leighanne continues her studies with Marguerite Krull. Previous teachers have included Yale School of Music / Manhattan School of Music coach Ted Taylor, and award-winning songwriter Tony Conniff.
Leighanne is a trained classical singer, and received her B.Mus from Oberlin. she is a professional choral singer, songwriter, and singer of vintage american harmony
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Singer, songwriter and uke player Leighanne Saltsman has performed in over 200 classical concerts, twenty-five jazz shows, and is credited with co-presenting a list of concerts spanning 15 years. She has been heard with choruses in Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall, and behind Paul McCartney and the New York Philharmonic. Her first recording of her original music, Beauty (2012), brought together a jazz guitarist, a prog-rock bassist and a classical singer in the studio and in The Purcell Project (2014), she presented jazz versions of traditional Purcell arias. Ongoing projects include The Leighanne Saltsman Trio; a classical duo with Manhattan School of Music pianist Melinda Faylor; vintage close harmony with jazz chanteuse Margi Gianquito; and Vermont-based shapenote group the Bright Wings Chorus. Leighanne received her B. Mus from Oberlin Conservatory.
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Leighanne Saltsman obtained her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Oberlin Conservatory, and has achieved success as soloist with vocal ensemble Cerddorion premiering the works of Lisa Bielawa, David Lang and Elliot Z. Levine, and as originator of the title role in Joan LaBarbara’s opera-in-progress, “WoolfSong, The Life of Virginia Woolf,” scenes from which were produced at Brooklyn’s Issue Project Room. Ms. Saltsman has also directed an in-depth inquiry into Baroque singing basics for actors for acclaimed theatre group The Wooster Group, including actor Kate Valk, via their exploration of the never-before performed Cavalli opera, “La Didone.” In this endeavor she worked with guitarist Brandon Ross and Baroque Music specialist Jennifer Griesbach.
Saltsman’s interest and expertise falls in the realms of early music, new music, oratorio and choral repertoire. In addition to working under Doner/Pierce Associates as a member of both the New York Choral Artists and the Concert Chorale of New York, Leighanne has appeared at the Bard Summerscape Festival. Most recently she has been featured vocalist for CageHop NYC, performing the John Cage Aria at The Greene Space in Brooklyn.
Ms. Saltsman is currently in demand as a soloist in diverse projects ranging from jazz sessions to contemporary works, and has been commissioned to interpret countless new compositions. Her lifelong commitment to communication through music has been demonstrated and solidified by her participation in master classes with Pamela Z, Walter Thompson and Paul Horn, and she is equally at home in recital, improvisational workshop, and on the concert stage. She has appeared behind Thomas Quasthoff and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Walter Thompson (soundpainting tm), Olga Borodina and the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York, among others.
Singer, songwriter and uke player Leighanne Saltsman has performed in over 200 classical concerts, twenty-five jazz shows, and is credited with co-presenting a list of concerts spanning 15 years. She has been heard with choruses in Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall, and behind Paul McCartney and the New York Philharmonic. Her first recording of her original music, Beauty (2012), brought together a jazz guitarist, a prog-rock bassist and a classical singer in the studio and in The Purcell Project (2014), she presented jazz versions of traditional Purcell arias. Ongoing projects include The Leighanne Saltsman Trio; a classical duo with Manhattan School of Music pianist Melinda Faylor; vintage close harmony with jazz chanteuse Margi Gianquito; and Vermont-based shapenote group the Bright Wings Chorus. Leighanne received her B. Mus from Oberlin Conservatory.
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Leighanne Saltsman obtained her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Oberlin Conservatory, and has achieved success as soloist with vocal ensemble Cerddorion premiering the works of Lisa Bielawa, David Lang and Elliot Z. Levine, and as originator of the title role in Joan LaBarbara’s opera-in-progress, “WoolfSong, The Life of Virginia Woolf,” scenes from which were produced at Brooklyn’s Issue Project Room. Ms. Saltsman has also directed an in-depth inquiry into Baroque singing basics for actors for acclaimed theatre group The Wooster Group, including actor Kate Valk, via their exploration of the never-before performed Cavalli opera, “La Didone.” In this endeavor she worked with guitarist Brandon Ross and Baroque Music specialist Jennifer Griesbach.
Saltsman’s interest and expertise falls in the realms of early music, new music, oratorio and choral repertoire. In addition to working under Doner/Pierce Associates as a member of both the New York Choral Artists and the Concert Chorale of New York, Leighanne has appeared at the Bard Summerscape Festival. Most recently she has been featured vocalist for CageHop NYC, performing the John Cage Aria at The Greene Space in Brooklyn.
Ms. Saltsman is currently in demand as a soloist in diverse projects ranging from jazz sessions to contemporary works, and has been commissioned to interpret countless new compositions. Her lifelong commitment to communication through music has been demonstrated and solidified by her participation in master classes with Pamela Z, Walter Thompson and Paul Horn, and she is equally at home in recital, improvisational workshop, and on the concert stage. She has appeared behind Thomas Quasthoff and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Walter Thompson (soundpainting tm), Olga Borodina and the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York, among others.