This week, Bethesda Church extends a very warm welcome to Jean T. Leonard.

A classically trained soprano, Jean has studied at Geneseo under the direction of William Leyerle and Dr. Pamela Kurau, Anne Z. Turner and Michael Clement.

Upon her arrival in the Capital Region 25 years ago, Jean became a member of Albany Pro Musica where she has been a frequent soloist in such things as the Bach Magnificat, Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, Handel’s Messiah, McCullough’s Song of the Shulamite, and most recently Beethoven’s Mass in C Major. She has been a guest soloist with the Oneida Area Civic Chorale, the St. John’s UUC Music Series, Schenectady’s Octavo Singers, and Musicians of Ma’alwyck and has presented recitals for the St. Paul’s Tuesdays at Noon concert series, the Bethlehem Public Library Friends of the Library Music Series, and the First Friday Music Series at First Reformed Church of Schenectady.

In addition to maintaining an active soloist schedule, Jean’s stage credits include various roles in productions of Pippin, Quilters, The Gondoliers, Yeoman of the Guard, and A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, and Aleda, The Flight of the Suffbird Women with the Musicans of Ma’alwyck in the spring of 2018. Jean is a cantor at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Delmar and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany and a member of the High Holy Day choir at Congregation Beth Emeth.

When not on stage or at work as the Chief of Staff at Proctors, her time is spent singing and dancing in the living room or the car, which is quite embarrassing to her three teenage children, Morgan, Kara, and Jack. Her husband, Rob, has learned to roll with it.