Kendra Preston Leonard
Kendra Preston Leonard (June 11, 1974, New Orleans-August 19, 2026, Humble, Texas) was an American musicologist, poet and librettist.[1][2] Her scholarship focused on women in music and music in screen history in 20th-century France, Britain, and America. Her creative work spanned three volumes of poetry, numerous song texts, and libretti for opera projects that focus on women’s stories and history.[3]
Education
She studied as a cellist at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, The Peabody Conservatory, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the University of Miami before studying musicology at the University of Cincinnati. She received her PhD from the University of Sunderland in 2014.
Career
Leonard taught musicology at Westminster Choir College (2009-2011) and was a visiting lecturer at the University of Houston (2019-2020). She held the Thornton Wilder Fellowship at Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (2009-2010)[4] and was awarded the inaugural Judith Tick Fellowship from the Society for American Music (2013-2014) for research on Louise Talma.[5] She was founder and executive director of the Silent Film Sound and Music Archive beginning in 2014.
Leonard’s creative writing includes several volumes of poetry and libretti for numerous opera projects, including Marie Curie Learns to Swim with music by Jessica Rudman and several micro-operas by Lisa Neher.[6] She also served as a teaching artist in libretto writing at Guerrilla Opera.[7]
Selected publications
- The Conservatoire Américain: A History, Scarecrow Press, 2007[8]
- Shakespeare, Madness and Music: Scoring Insanity in Cinematic Adaptations, Scarecrow Press, 2009
- Louise Talma: A Life in Composition, Ashgate Publishing, 2014 [9]
- Making Mythology, Louisiana Literature Press, 2020
- Protectress, a novella in verse, Unsolicited Press, 2022
- Grab, Red Ogre Review, 2023
- A Registry of Omens, Red Ogre Review, 2024
Selected contributions to vocal works
- Marie Curie Learns to Swim, libretto for the opera by Jessica Rudman (2018)
- The Harbingers, libretto for the opera by Rossa Crean (2020)
- Protectress, libretto for opera by Jessica Rudman (in progress)
- This Is Jane, libretto for the opera by Angela Slater (in progress)[10]
- Sweet Anna, libretto for the opera by Kathryn Woodard (in progress)
Selected articles
- Preston., Leonard, Kendra (2011). Buffy, ballads, and bad guys who sing : music in the worlds of Joss Whedon. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6945-5. OCLC 939935646.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[11] - Preston., Leonard, Kendra (2016). Music for Silent Film : a Guide to North American Resources. A-R Editions, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89579-835-0. OCLC 960760340.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[12]
See also
References
- ↑ "Kendra Preston Leonard - Routledge & CRC Press Author Profile". www.routledge.com. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
- ↑ "OBITUARY: American Musicologist and Opera Librettist Kendra Preston Leonard (1974-2026) – Twin Cities Arts Reader". twincitiesarts.com. 2026-08-24. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
- ↑ angeliquejamail (2026-05-04). "Kendra Preston Leonard". Sappho's Torque. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ "Kendra Preston Leonard". Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ↑ "Kendra Preston Leonard won Society for American Music Fellowship". Peabody Magazine. 2014-01-29. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
- ↑ "Jessica Rudman At Hartford Opera Theater's Speaking Her Truth". Hartford Courant. 2018-04-21. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ↑ "The Guerillas Spark a Creative Renaissance with the Revival of Libretto Writing Labs". Guerilla Opera. 2024-05-02. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
- ↑ Reviews of The Conservatoire Américain
- La Vine, Kevin (2008). "Review of The Conservatoire Américain: A History". American Music. 26 (3): 410–413. ISSN 0734-4392. JSTOR 40071714.
- Wagstaff, John (2008). "Review of The Conservatoire Américain: a History". Fontes Artis Musicae. 55 (1): 91–93. ISSN 0015-6191. JSTOR 23512408.
- ↑ Reviews of Louise Talma
- Richardson, Cindy (2016). "Review of Louise Talma: A Life in Composition". Fontes Artis Musicae. 63 (4): 305–306. ISSN 0015-6191. JSTOR 44709386.
- Dorsey, Sarah B. (2015). "Review of Louise Talma: A Life in Composition". Notes. 72 (2): 339–341. doi:10.1353/not.2015.0132. ISSN 0027-4380. JSTOR 26397618. S2CID 162790610.
- Dodd, Rose (2016). "Review of Louise Talma: A Life in Composition". Tempo. 70 (275): 109–111. doi:10.1017/S0040298215000844. ISSN 0040-2982. JSTOR 43928229. S2CID 147834885.
- ↑ "Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival Review: "This Is Jane" Opera Tells The Real Story Of Chicago's Jane Collective - Rhetorical Review". 2026-07-26. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ Reviews of Buffy, ballads, and bad guys who sing
- Haskins, Rob (2013). "Review of Buffy, Ballads, and Bad Guys Who Sing: Music in the Worlds of Joss Whedon". American Music. 31 (1): 106–109. doi:10.5406/americanmusic.31.1.0106. ISSN 0734-4392. JSTOR 10.5406/americanmusic.31.1.0106.
- ↑ Reviews for Music for Silent Film
- Doan, Joy M. (2018). "Review of Music for Silent Film: A Guide to North American Resources. MLA Index and Bibliography Series". Notes. 74 (3): 455–457. doi:10.1353/not.2018.0020. ISSN 0027-4380. JSTOR 26397529. S2CID 192412566.