Bio

Leslie Middlebrook made a successful European opera debut in Bremen, Germany on a Menotti double-bill singing the leading roles of Baba in The Medium and Miss Todd in The Old Maid and The Thief. She also appeared at The Bach to Bartok International Music Festival in Imola, Italy where she made her recital debut at the historic Palazzo Tozzoni, and was alto soloist in Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Verdi’s Requiem. She was featured in the Austrian premiere of Kirke Mechem’s Tartuffe at the Vienna Kammeroper. In addition, Ms Middlebrook made her Carnegie Hall debut as alto soloist in the U.S. premiere of Sir Eugene Goosen’s re-orchestration of The Messiah with The New England Symphonic Ensemble.

With many recent performances, Ms. Middlebrook has been establishing her credits as a Wagnerian Mezzo-Soprano. She has sung the roles of Fricka in Das Rheingold, Waltraute in Die Walküre and in Götterdammerung, as well as First Norn in Götterdammerung all with the Wagner Festival Orchestra conducted by David Gilbert, Fricka in Die Walküre and First Norn in Götterdammerung with the West End Opera conducted by Roger Malouf, and Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde again with the Wagner Festival Orchestra and David Gilbert. She continues to build her Wagnerian repetoire, studying under the sponsorship of the Wagner Institute, directed by Patricia Sage. This season she will add Mary in Der Fliegende Hollander, and Erda in Siegfried.

In the U.S. Ms. Middlebrook has performed with such prestigious companies as: The San Francisco Opera, Virginia Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Berkshire Opera, Harrisburg Opera, New Jersey Verismo Opera, West Coast Opera (Palm Springs) and The Colorado Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in roles ranging from Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Giglietta in Mascagni’s Isabeau, Maddalena in Rigoletto, to Amneris in Aida and Katisha in The Mikado. With over forty roles in her repertoire, critics have acclaimed her performances as “outstanding,” “commanding” and “impressive.”

Ms. Middlebrooks’ frequent concert and oratorio appear-ances include the duet version of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with the St. Thomas More Chamber Orchestra with Harvey Burgett conducting as well as the world premiere of Margarita Zelenaia’s Mother’s Lamentations for Mezzo-Soprano and Strings with One World Symphony, which was also broadcast on international satellite television. Other recent engagements include Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle with The Brooklyn Philharmonia, The Mozart Requiem with Joseph Kubler conducting, a Weill Hall recital debut and concerts with the Ragusa Music Festival in Sicily.

2006-2007 began with concert appearances at the Ondine International Festival in Rusalka and Sofia, Bulgaria. She will reprise Waltraute in Götterdammerung in a fully staged production with the Wagner Festival Orchestra, return as alto soloist in The Messiah with The Hanson Place Chorale of Brooklyn, and to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a G&S Concert. Further concert engagements include a series of opera galas with La Serenata and a Southern tour of A Victorian Evening of Romance, Poetry & Song. Ms Middlebrook will again appear as the Duchess and the Keeper of Knowledge in a new musical theatre version of H.G Well’s The Time Machine.

An accomplished actress, known for her comedic talents, Ms. Middlebrook’s musical theatre credits range from a revival of Noel Cowards Bittersweet at The Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts to Madame Pavlenko (Margaret Dumont) in A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine at the Pioneer Theatre in Salt Lake City. She appeared as Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol with New England Lyric Operetta at the Rich Forum in Stamford, Ct. with Neal Goren conducting, was alto soloist in the Best of G&S with Skitch Henderson’s NY Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and The Duchess of Plaza Toro in The Gondoliers at John Jay Theatre, F. Paul Driscoll directing. She can be heard as the Dowager Empress Marie and Lenin’s Wife on the CD of the new musical theatre piece Faberge.

A native of New York City, Leslie Middlebrook received her Master of Music in Opera from Manhattan School of Music.