ENSEMBLE LEONARDA was formed at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where its founding members were participating in the early music program. Named after composer Isabella Leonarda (1620–1704), this group of gifted individuals came together to form an ensemble dedicated to performing works of the Baroque masters with vim, vigor, and enthusiasm.
Past performances have included recitals at the Church of the Epiphany as part of the “Washington Musicians for Nuclear Disarmament” series; Squires Recital Salon at Virginia Tech; St. Paul’s Chapel–Columbia University, GEMSNY Midtown Concert Series, the Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Concert Series, a collaborative concert with performance artist Killy Dwyer as part of the NY Philharmonic's New World Initiative project, a three-peat performance of Filmelodic's “La Folia”, an indie short film with live music of Geminiani's La Folia variations, a concert with Curt C. Christensen (former principal trumpet of the U.S. Air Force Concert Band), and live-action drawing during a cantata with Victor Varnado (cartoonist for “The New Yorker” magazine) in Classics meets Classical.
2021 saw the move to virtual presentations due to the pandemic. 2022 featured a live-streamed concert available simultaneously on multiple platforms featuring works for viola d’amore with Dan McCarthy.