Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leah Wenger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Leah, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
I’ve always known that wherever I end up in life, I will put my whole being into its success. I know no other way. The grit and determination I have to reach my goals developed over many years. Years of surrounding myself with supportive people, interdisciplinary academic work, refining my vocal technique, taking on leadership roles, and pursuing athletics through the collegiate level made me who I am. The self discipline that pushed me through all those things comes from a passionate curiosity of the world around me.
Finding creative ways to communicate art in an accessible way gives me so much joy. For example, the musical experiences I like to curate are multifaceted and dynamic. I dive deep into a topic, approaching it from a multitude of angles, and present back to an audience only a snippet of the things I find or create. I combine my loves of art and culture, music and psychology, peacebuilding and academic excellence, history and writing. My master’s recital was a perfect example of this. It was titled “Internal Light, Eternal Flame,” and I combined over a thousand years of music written with references to the ideas of an undying flame – either in the soul or in eternity. I spent a full year steeped in the music, art and literature surrounding this idea. Then, I didn’t just perform all these pieces, I carefully curated a theatrical experience that told a story. Each piece informed the next, and the audience responded.
Each time I create something like this, I am so thrilled by the experience that I must do more. That is where my current creative drive comes from. Taking these opportunities to create, while being informed by my many years of interdisciplinary leadership, leads to uncharted territory. It’s the passion that continues the drive. In being a founding member of Basso Celestia, I have found a place where I can let my creative juices run free. It is so exciting to watch the development of this team, and we are looking forward to our Spring 2025 tour – planned and curated by me!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the most passionate about creating new and engaging audience experiences through music, spoken word, and historical scholarship. I have done many exciting things in this realm that all have nudged me in ways that I never anticipated, and have opened a nontraditional career path in front of me. I’ve performed professionally with many vocal ensembles, mostly located in the DC and Baltimore area and as a soloist in the United States, UK, Germany, Switzerland, and Indonesia. I’ve presented research professionally at the Global Arts and Psychology Seminar and the North American British Music Studies Association. Many people ask why I don’t choose one path over another, but I don’t find it logical to separate my value of vocal excellence with my academic pursuits.
My dream is to do contract work to assist others in visualizing and fulfilling their concert dreams. I want to be hired to help anyone and everyone. Is your company doing a fundraising concert? Do you need someone to do the research for your program notes? Have you thought through the overall story of what you want your concert to say? Bring me on to do your research, program your recital, speak at your event, design the story, even sing with you!
This goal is starting to see the light in much of the work I am doing this year with a few different groups. The one I am most invested in right now is called Basso Celestia, of which I am a founding member. I am neck deep in getting this group off the ground for our second East Coast tour this spring!
~~~
Basso Celestia is a newly founded early music ensemble based in the Mid-Atlantic region. Featuring Leah Wenger, Mo Akande, Katerina Kotar, and Cameron Kuzepski. We prioritize intimate works for small ensembles, allowing us to explore and perform unusual or underperformed pieces that effectively tell a story. We have brought this distinctive approach to audiences across the Mid-Atlantic region. In 2024, we embarked on a six-state, eight-performance tour featuring François Couperin’s Leçons des Ténèbres. Each performance consistently attracted robust audiences who enriched the concert experience with their presence and responsiveness. In the spring of 2025, Basso Celestia will return to some venues, and add a few more stops for a new concert series featuring the baroque Italian women Barbara Strozzi and Isabella Leonarda.
Our interactive style not only entertains but also educates, bringing early music to life in innovative ways that resonate deeply with contemporary audiences. Leveraging fields, such as art history, psychology, healthcare, historical dress and textiles, and religion, Basso Celestia transforms how early music is experienced, turning each performance into an opportunity for communal learning and enjoyment. Drawing upon our expertise in diverse musical traditions, from French sacred music to Italian secular music, we strive to create dynamic and varied programs that resonate across cultural boundaries, and can be performed in many different types of venues. We are committed to nurturing a collective of musicians who not only relish playing together but are also dedicated to spreading early music education and appreciation within our local communities.
Follow us on Instagram to keep an eye out for our tour dates! @bassocelestia
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My experiences in social work and student affairs prepared me so well to interact with just about anyone. I love working with people, and one of my primary goals in any rehearsal or performance space is creating a welcoming space that all present are able to bring their most fully authentic selves. The soft skills that I’ve developed throughout my life, but especially in my parallel human services career, are skills that I use every day. My patience, persistence, and my curiosity for creative solutions always have and continue to open doors in front of me.
Other than that, I always tell those who ask that the secrets to this industry are thus: (1) answer your emails and (2) just don’t be an asshole.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for collaborators!
If you or someone you know has a project (ideally with funding) that is coming up, and you need another pair of eyes on the music, the history, the research, the writing, they rehearsal space, the concert experience… just about anything… Hit me up! I also write a lot of poetry! I love collaborative efforts and meeting new friends in the process. My experience is vast. Connect with me!
You can learn more about me and what I am up to at https://www.leah-wenger.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leah-wenger.com/
- Instagram: @ljweng22
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-wenger-2014aa1a9/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@leahwenger9625
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
