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![]() Georgia Center for the Arts → Meet the Teachers → Leslie Thompson Leslie Thompson, voice She received a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati, where she was a soloist in Monteverdi’s Vespers 1610 and sang the Vespers of Rachmaninoff under the direction of James Conlon. While in Cincinnati, she sang in The Vocal Arts Ensemble, a professional chorus, performing soprano solos in major works including Bach’s Passion According to St. Matthew and Mozart’s Requiem. She did post graduate work at The American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she studied with prominent vocal coaches Martin Rich, Richard Asslaynian, and Eleanor Steber. In 1987 she won the National Society of Arts and Letters Vocal Auditions for the state of Alabama. She won the Mid-South Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 1989, where she also received the Mrs. Edgar Tobin Award for Best Stage Presence. She has performed two times as soloist for national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, performing Stravinsky’s Les Noces and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass. In 1991, she performed the soprano solo in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No.4 with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. In the same year, she sang Fiordilidgi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte at the University of Alabama in Birmingham Town and Gown Theater, with Dr. Thomas Gibbs conducting. She sang in the Atlanta Opera Chorus from 1993 to1998 and performed solo roles in DerRosenkavalier (Noble Orphan) and Macbeth (a ghost). She was in the Opera Studio for 3 seasons where she sang Lucy in The Telephone and Serpina in La Serva Padrona. She also sang in the International Opera Gala for Cultural Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. She sang a number of roles with Atlanta’s Capitol City Opera, including Alice Ford in Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème. She was also a member of the Capitol City Opera Studio, performing operatic repertoire for children including Melissa Mew in The Ballad of the Bremen Band. In addition to opera, Leslie has substantial musical theater experience, having performed leading roles including Luisa in The Fantastiks, Julie in Carousel, Laurie in Oklahoma, and Yum-yum in The Mikado. Currently, Leslie sings in both Adult Choirs, works with the Childrens’ choirs and directs the Pre-School music regularly at St. James’s Episcopal Church, Marietta. She has also appeared in the ECW’s yearly Fundraiser/Murder Mystery Dinner Theater as “Lucy” and as “Laura Dingfield”. This year, she will sing her sixteenth season of services for the High Holy Days at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, Alabama. She will begin her 2nd year of teaching private voice and piano lessons at The Georgia Symphony Orchestra/ Georgia Center for the Arts in Kennesaw, Georgia. She has been married to Ronald Sterling Thompson for 17 years.
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