Leanna L. Pearson, soprano, is currently a Masters of Music student in Classical Voice/Opera with Advanced Certification in Vocal Pedagogy at New York University. Ms. Pearson is a current graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelors of Art in Music. A native of Clinton Hill in Brooklyn, New York, Ms. Pearson has been surrounded by music and the arts her entire life. The first opera Ms. Pearson remembers is Porgy & Bess by George Greshwin, it became a ritual in her house that whenever Porgy & Bess was on PBS all else stopped. Ms. Pearson knew she was destined for music. Throughout her childhood she participated in numerous ensembles including the GRAMMY Award Winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus.
Ms. Pearson’s interest in music began in her mothers’ womb. Her mother shared stories of how she would place headphones on her stomach and let Ms. Pearson listen to classical music. She said one day as Ms. Pearson was being active in her womb, she played ‘Beethoven’s 5th Symphony’, and she became calm. After her birth, she continued to play classical music to comfort and soothe her. As a toddler, she tuned into the Public Broadcasting Station to watch the musicals, operas, and dance performances.
At the age of three years old, her mother enrolled her on Saturdays, in the Brooklyn Music School where she began to study creative movement. For the next five years, she studied ballet, piano, and music theory. Her very first public dance recital was at the age of seven. At that age, she participated in ballet. She was not a dancer long but her interest and love of dance is still with her.
However, Ms. Pearson’s love for music began to flourish. She started singing at the age of five with the Children’s Chorus in her church. She sang in numerous choirs. Such choirs include the Grammy Award Winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy, Church Youth Choir, Midwood High School Girls Chorus, Midwood High School Mixed Chorus, Midwood High School Gospel Choir, and the Irving Berlin Chorus of the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York.
Ms. Pearson’s passion and involvement in singing has provided her the following achievements. In 2004, she was the recipient of a Silver Medal and scholarship for second place in classical singing at the NAACP ACT-SO Scientific Olympics of the Mind Vocal Classical Competition. In 2003, she sang the ‘National Anthem’ at the televised Brooklyn Cyclones Baseball Game at Keyspan Ball Park in Coney Island. She also sang the ‘National Anthem’ and ‘God Bless America’ at Shea Stadium with the Girl Scout Irving Berlin Chorus. As a member of Midwood High School Chorus, she sang with the chorus at the American Museum of Natural History Holiday Festival, and with the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. At BAM, they sang excerpts from the George Gershwin Opera ‘Porgy and Bess’.
Ms. Pearson was given the opportunity while studying in Milan, Italy for the Fall 2008 semester to sing with the Coro Da Camera dell’ Accademia Internazionale della Musica Milano performing in such venues as Abbazia di Viboldone, Cattedrale di Bergamo, Castello Sforzesco and San Giovanni Battista alla Creta. Her musical experience in Italy has expanded her vocal repertoire to include Bachianas Brasileiras by Villa-Lobos. Currently she is a member of the Spelman College Glee Club, Spelman College Chamber Singers and the Atlanta Opera Chorus.
Her plans for the future include becoming an opera singer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Her goal is to open a community center that would provide students with assistance in academic education, extra-curricular activities in music, and financial education for low-income families. The fusion of her desire to promote music education and development of a community center is a short-term goal toward the expansion of her long-term goal of an accredited educational institution.
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