Leigh Holman, Mezzo Soprano and Stage Director
Leigh Holman is an established stage director and performer in the fields of Opera and Musical Theatre. As Director of the Opera Colorado Ensemble Artists, she stage directs two touring productions per season, concerts and other presentations to promote Opera Colorado and the young artists that are contracted into the program. Holman was previously Chair of the Voice and Opera Studies Area at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock before she moved back to Boulder to teach and direct at the University of Colorado (adjunct) and continue on in her professional role at Opera Colorado. She has directed and/or sung leading roles for such companies and opera institutions as Portland Opera, Nashville Opera, National Opera, Wildwood Opera, Opera Theatre of Fort Collins, University of Colorado, University of Arkansas and others. Leigh is a frequent opera lecturer including presentations of the pre-curtain lectures at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Opera 101 presentations on KVOD and holds a graduate Opera Performance degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from The University of Colorado at Boulder. She recently completed a recital tour in western Tennessee with pianist, Robert Spillman and baritone, James Ramsey. In addition to directing over 25 professional and academic operatic and musical theatre productions, she most recently served as assistant director for Ron Daniels (Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in London) in his critically acclaimed production of Madama Butterfly at Opera Colorado. In Spring of 2009, Leigh will remount her 2007 production of La Cenerentola and premiere Richard Wargo's The Music Shop, both to tour with Opera Colorado's Ensemble Artists.