I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.
— J.S. Bach
 
 

Photo by Jamie Kraus; click to download

 

Soprano Leah Podzimek is a versatile performer, producer, and administrator currently based in in the Greater Midwest. After spending a decade in Colorado, she performs regularly throughout the Rocky Mountain Region and the United States, and has been seen on stages worldwide as both a soloist and a member of internationally recognized ensembles. Performances range from baroque concerts and grand operas to world-premiere chamber works and immersive, interactive productions.

Hailed as “opulent and rich”, Ms. Podzimek’s recent roles include Liu (Turandot) with St. Petersburg Opera, Rosita & Fulang (Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World) with Central City Opera, Mrs. Gleaton (Susannah) and Second Lady (The Magic Flute) with Opera Fort Collins, Princess Dora (The Three Feathers) with Opera Steamboat, and Voice 1 in the world premiere of composer Nathan Hall’s new opera, Atlas of Remote Islands. She looks forward to returning to St. Petersburg Opera this season to perform the role of Mrs. Segstrom in A Little Night Music and cover the role of Micaëla in Carmen.

Ms. Podzimek is the core vocalist of the Denver-based premiere new music group, The Playground Ensemble, with whom she regularly presents performances of contemporary chamber works including the November 2024 concert “Body/Mind” featuring pieces by Paola Prestini, Kate Soper, and Leaha Maria Villarreal.

Ms. Podzimek also produces and performs in interactive performances through her creative business, Luster Productions. Previous productions include Missed Connection: A musical mystery adventure in September 2023 and installments of INTERPLAY: Art + Opera in cities nationwide.

Ms. Podzimek received her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from Wartburg College, and her Master of Art in Arts Administration & Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. While abroad she performed and covered roles with OperaGold (Tytania/A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Giornata Opera (Suor Osmina/Suor Angelica), and Park Opera (Chloë/The Queen of Spades). She has received scholarships to attend and perform at the Aldeburgh Festival, Dartington International Summer School for Music, Abingdon School for Solo Singers, OperaWorks in Los Angeles, and received third place and the Myrle F. Hoffman Memorial Award at the 2018 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition. She was recently the sole Vocal Fellow at the 2023 Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice, where she premiered a new piece by Jacob Lane and performed works by Cage, Epstein, and more, and was a finalist in the 2024 John Alexander National Vocal Competition with Opera Mississippi.

Leah currently studies with Dramatic Soprano Alexandra LoBianco.


In addition to her active career as a performer, Ms. Podzimek is a freelance arts administrator & creative independent producer. She works with non-profit arts organizations to support their fundraising, event planning, operations, and project management efforts. She has held leadership roles as both a full-time employee and a freelance contractor with Boulder Symphony and Curious Theatre, and management positions with Opera Colorado, Opera Steamboat, The Playground Ensemble, Meow Wolf Denver, PROTOTYPE and, most recently, the Aspen Music Festival and School. She currently serves as Board Treasurer of Control Group Productions.

Ms. Podzimek is also the owner of Luster Productions. With a vision of reaching people who haven’t yet experienced opera and might have some preconceptions about it, Luster is a unique production company that embraces operatic storytelling and the trend of immersive theatre to create engaging music theater experiences. Luster’s mission is to use music theater and opera to tell stories that contemporary audiences can relate to, embracing the diverse array of lived experiences of both composers and artists to create innovative musical experiences that connect audiences. Recent Luster projects of note include co-producing the critically acclaimed immersive Japanese folktale experience, ZOTTO: A Supernatural Japanese Folktale, the world premiere of Unbound: A Kink Opera by Nathan Hall, and an immersive, operatic adventure, Missed Connection.