Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard sings 'Verdi Prati' from Handel's Alcina

Come hear tomorrow’s stars today! Baritone Benjamin Dickerson and pianist Alden Gatt are the most recent winners of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition, and they’ll be stopping by The Greene Space to perform and talk about their competition experiences. WQXR's Nimet Habachy hosts.

Legendary mezzo Marilyn Horne will also be on hand to talk about her illustrious career and role in the competition, and we’ll have a special performance from Metropolitan Opera singer and former competition winner Isabel Leonard.

Founded in 2000 by the Marilyn Horne Foundation, the Marilyn Horne Song Competition, a program of the Music Academy of the West, is one of the most prestigious and valuable singing competitions in the United States. Previous Marilyn Horne Song Competition winners, including Met Opera star Isabel Leonard, are performing leading and featured roles in major opera houses around the globe. In the United States, winners have performed at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera and Los Angeles Opera, among others.

[samueljaramillo]

One of the most beautiful aria sung by Isabel Leonard with her amazing sumptuous voice.

[LAURHofficial]

This is simply beautiful. We are so lucky to have musicians like her on this planet.

[st]

Amazing how old this music is. Connects us to those who came way before us.

[SteveL]

She calibrates her voice perfectly for this music. Gorgeous singing, reminiscent of Hunt Lieberson—particularly with the soprano overtones to her voice and restraint she shows in not digging into the chest register. Love, love, love her.

[lawrenceallen]

Such beautiful expressive depth of human emotion and purity of sound- God sent . The voice and face of an angel . This lady has such beauty and a story to tell us all.

[quagskag]

She truly touches all who experience such vocal and physical beauty in so many ways and on so many levels that it is awe inspiring.
She is without question one of the most extraordinarily gifted Vocal Artists on the planet.

[graciestyler]

I got to go to a master class of hers. We were sitting in the third row. She is the most down to earth person ever and super funny as well. She is just enchanting!

[christiaandhooghe]

These are the musicians that make music come alive.
Such an instrument, wonderful!

[petternilsson]

When life is dark i looks and listen at her and I becomes happy again.

[MrYorickJenkins]

This message is so true. Meadows and fields giving way to concrete all over the world to make way for more humanity and more humanity and ever more humanity. I have always understood this aria in that sense.

[hannakarska]

sublime, absolument celestial, Thanks for this incredible performance

[maria-tkach]

It’s amazing👏
Thank you, very much for your singing 🙏

[fernandofraga]

Una de las más bellas arias de "Alcina" y Leonard está inconmensurable.

[fafaalexander]

Amazing! Genious Duo. Surprised with the spiritual piano.

[jjh]

One of the most beautiful arias written. Just stunning.

[rabomdi]

Beautiful voice sound, and piano delivery :). Thank you for posting this. Cheers

[amandaf]

Eu fui a um concerto dela no Brasil e não conhecias as árias por serem pouco divulgadas. Mas tudo caiu com uma grande fluidez e precisão sobre o público … muita emoção nesta voz extraordinária.

[Eiswirth]

Stunningly beautiful singing and piano playing.

[acitipo]

Que hermosa voz de bellisimos armonicos!!! timbre diafano como un cristal!!!

[marla]

Beautiful voice and musicality, both!