Concert with the National Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda
“The tender lullaby of “Nana” featured gently cooing clarinets trailing after Leonard’s maternal timbre. The vivid orchestration, full of touches of Spanish percussion, complemented the intense narrative qualities of Leonard’s singing.”
Washington Classical Review
“The evening offered a simulacrum of an American program, polished and shiny. After the Copland, the American element in the second work was the soloist, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, who was making her NSO debut but who is no stranger to Washington … Leonard stepped in to offer Berio’s orchestrations of De Falla’s “Seven Popular Spanish Songs,” which are popular in mezzo-soprano recitals. Leonard, too, is polished, with a rich voice that she uses with care, precision and seriousness.”
The Washington Post