ABOUT

Leighanne Saltsman is a mezzo soprano, composer and producer who specializes in Art Song, choral repertoire and classically-inclined experimental electronica. Her music has been sung by the
Walden School of Music’s CMR choir under the direction of Thomas Colohan (Washington Master Chorale), Maren Montalbano of Grammy-winning ensemble The Crossing, and supporters and mentors include Stephen Sands (Trinity Wall Street) and Roomful of Teeth’s Dashon Burton. She currently studies composition with Juhi Bansal, voice with Tami Petty, performs regularly with the Bard College Chamber Singers under James Bagwell, and has appeared numerous times with choirs at Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She holds a B.Mus from Oberlin Conservatory.

Leighanne’s works draw on harmonies inspired by Protestant hymnody and the Golden Age of American Popular Song. Her expertise in interpreting songs from a wide range of traditions as a singer allows her to set texts poignantly and intelligently, and her music incorporates shifting textural palettes and an appreciation for the unusual.

In addition to her musical expertise, Leighanne holds a B.A. from Oberlin College in Visual Art. She comes from twelve generations of educators, artists, farmers, dreamers, and folks who worked with their hands, and her inherited knowledge informs all her creative pursuits. By keeping her hands in the dirt and her eyes on the stars, she makes music designed to inspire listeners to depart their daily lives and experience their surroundings in new ways. Leighanne lives in the Hudson Valley and spends her free time making wildcrafted baskets with foraged plant fibers.