Ms. Fagan has delighted audiences and critics alike at Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Bordeaux Opera House, and Roy Thomson Hall
"...her voice sounds nothing short of astonishing….she is in a class of her own." Robert Thomas, Wholenote Magazine
Leslie’s luminous season highlights include a return to Carnegie Hall for Handel’s Messiah with the Oratorio Society of New York under the direction of Maestro Kent Tritle. The journey to Carnegie Hall is jeweled with Messiah performances in Toronto Canada, and Kyoto Japan. This season Leslie also sings Brahm’s Requiem, Verdi’s Requiem, and premier’s new songs in the Canadian Art Song Series.
Having performed under the batons of such noted conductors as Sir David Willcocks, Hans Graf, Jukke Pekke Saraste, Kent Tritle, Heinz Ferlisch, Victor Borge and Elmer Isler, highlights of Ms. Fagan's past engagements include: a solo concert of music of Stravinsky and Debussy with the Bordeaux Aquitaine Symphonie Nationale, France; Bach's Weinachts Oratorium in Stuttgart, Germany; Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England; Tafelmusik Orchestra and Choir in Toronto, Ontario; an engagement as guest soloist at the International Choral Festival in Gouda, Netherlands. Leslie premiered 5 Mendelssohn Lieder at Steinway Hall in New York with the Clarion Music Society. Leslie made her official her Lincoln Center debut singing Carmina Burana and the world premier of Allesandro Cadario’s Cantata for Revival and in the same season sang a double debut at Carnegie Hall with Messiah performances with both the Oratorio Society of New York of Kent Tritle and Music Sacra under the baton of Richard Westenburg. Ms. Fagan has been fortunate enough to share the stage with many great artists including Victor Borge, Lois Marshall and Maureen Forrester.
Ms. Fagan performed concerts in Ribideo, Spain and the United Arab Emirates with Leopoldo Erice, and The Penderecki String Quartet. Ms. Fagan has sung two recitals at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates with Spanish pianist Leopoldo Erice. Leslie teamed up with Mr. Erice again in Canada for a recital and a recording with the great Canadian clarinetist James Campbell. She has performed with the Penderecki String Quartet at ithe Festival International Classica die Ribadeo, Spain. She joined the Elmer Iseler Singers for a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Christmas and filled out her summer with performances at The Bach Festival of Canada, Brott Summer Music and Festival of the Sound. Ms. Fagan also had the honour of judging the Oratorio Society of New York’s Singing Competition at Carnegie Hall.
On the opera stage, Ms. Fagan has sung the title role in Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix; Pamina in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte; Sophie in Massenet's Werther; Musetta in Puccini's La Boheme and Nanetta in Verdi's Falstaff. At the Aldeburgh Festival in England Ms. Fagan performed the roles of Tytania in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Ms. Fagan has performed on CBC radio and has appeared on CBC television and both BBC radio and television and NPR.
A proud Canadian, performances at home have led her from Massey Hall to the Massey Ferguson Dealership in Exeter and myriad venues between. Leslie’s project of promoting Canadian Art Song has come to fruition with the first recording in the Canadian Art Song Series entitled “Thread of Winter”; a medley of beautiful compositions from across Canada. Leslie is heading into the recording studio in the new year with collaborative pianist Lorin Shalanko to finish the second CD in this series.
Please see: www.Canadianartsongbook.com
Her recordings include her debut solo album "le miroir de mon amour”, "A Song for all Seasons" with The Toronto Children's Chorus, “Handel’s Messiah” with the Fanshawe Symphonic Chorus and “Mozart’s Mass in C’ Minor” with Chorus London
Leslie is a graduate of the University of Toronto where she studied with Madame Irene Jessner and Lois Marshall. Prior to entering university Ms. Fagan studied privately with Catherine Robbin and Greta Kraus. Ms. Fagan was the recipient of a Chalmers Grant, which enabled her to study with the great Romanian soprano, Ileana Cotrubas in France and to Italy to study with Martin Isepp at the Centre for Operatic Studies Sulmona Italy, which led to an invitation to work with this master of Mozart privately in London, England. This Italian study period was made possible by the generous support of the Canada Council.
Leslie is Assistant Professor and Co-ordinator of Voice at Sir Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and has private studios in New York and her home. She has given master classes at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, York University, the American University of Sharjah, UAE, Berkshire Choral Festival and was an adjudicator for the New York Oratorio Competition. Ms. Fagan’s students have gone on to attend such esteemed universities as Royal College of Music, London Eng., Manhattan School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Prague Conservatory. The Glenn Gould School and the University of Toronto.