Fire & Ice: The Music of Barbara Strozzi & Isabella Leonarda

• Leah Wenger, soprano
• Morayo Akande, soprano
• Katie Kotar, Baroque cello
• Cameron Kuzepski, harpsichord

Basso Celestia presents a concert of works by Baroque Italian women: Barbara Strozzi and Isabella Leonarda, both prolific composers, and noted as two of the first women to publish collections of music under their own names. Featuring an assortment of sacred and secular soprano duets, this program is a journey of women speaking through women, of navigating the complexities of life, and of finding passion and strength in extreme emotions.

With Leah Wenger and Morayo Akande as featured sopranos, Katerina Kotar on baroque cello, and Cameron Kuzepski on harpsichord, we will be joined by guest artists along the way to bring this exciting music to life!

A $10-$30 suggested ticket price can be offered in person or by Venmo to offset tour costs, and additional donations will help support the future of the group as we build towards a 501c3 status! But most importantly—we just want you there!

About Basso Celestia

Basso Celestia is an early music ensemble formed by young musicians dedicated to forging creative relationships with music and inspiring similar passions in others. The ensemble prioritizes intimate works for small ensembles, allowing exploration and performance of unusual or underperformed pieces that tell a story. This distinctive approach has been brought to audiences across the Mid-Atlantic region.

The interactive style that Basso Celestia uses not only entertains but also educates, bringing early music to life in innovative ways that resonate deeply with contemporary audiences. Leveraging fields such as art history, psychology, healthcare, historical dress and textiles, and religion, Basso Celestia transforms how early music is experienced, turning each performance into an opportunity for communal learning and enjoyment. Drawing upon expertise in diverse musical traditions, from French sacred music to Italian secular music and folk traditions of all kinds, the ensemble strives to create dynamic and varied programs that resonate across cultural boundaries and can be performed in many different types of venues. Basso Celestia is committed to nurturing a collective of musicians who are dedicated to curiosity and creativity, all while spreading early music education and appreciation within local communities.

About Leah Wenger, soprano

Leah Wenger is a musicologist, performer, and poet based in Baltimore, Maryland, where she completed graduate studies at the Peabody Institute. She is a versatile solo and ensemble performer with a vocal repertoire that spans from the Medieval era to the 21st Century, and she takes inspiration from many musical traditions. Recent work includes performing Betty Olivero's chamber work En la Mar Hai una Torre under the direction of Dr. Beth Willer (2023), the role of Gloria in Handel's O Come chiare e belle with the Virginia Baroque Academy (2023), chorus roles in Blow's Venus and Adonis with Peabody's Opera department (2023), and as a soloist in David Lang's Love Fail with Peabody Camerata (2022). Internationally, she has participated in SoundSCAPE Composition and Performance Exchange in Switzerland (2024) the MWC International Choir as one of two representing North America (2022), Opera Programs Berlin Historical Performance Institute (2020), and a Karnatic Vocal Music Institute in Southern India (2018).

Professionally, Leah has appeared as a choral musician with Bach in Baltimore, and the church choirs of Grace & St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Saint Alphonsus National Shrine and Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, and the Washington National Cathedral in DC. She is a founding core member of two early music groups in the DC/Baltimore area - Ignota, focusing on music for the middle ages, and Basso Celestia, focusing on music of the baroque era.

Leah's research interests lie in the intersections of music, religion, history and psychology. Her current research focuses on the creative responses to disaster in seventeenth-century England, which she will present at the North American British Music Association in July, 2024. She also has presented research on the connection between creativity and mental illness at the Global Arts and Psychology Seminar hosted virtually in 2023. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted experimental research on musically-evoked autobiographical memories, which she presented in a poster session during Eastern Mennonite University's Academic and Creative Excellence Festival. In the same festival, Leah was chosen as one of two music students to give a lecture recital, where she presented research on the connection between mental illness and artistic genius as exhibited in the life of Robert Schumann. Additionally, Leah was the only student invited to talk during the EMU music department's annual colloquium series, presenting a lecture recital on the music of Charles Ives.

Outside of her artistic endeavors, Leah pursues a career of human services in mental health, student life and psychology. During her time at Peabody, Leah worked as a Graduate Hall Director for the Department of Housing and Reslife, offering supervision and leadership development to student leaders on campus, and serving in a primary on-call role for responding to campus emergencies. Previously, Leah worked in adult mental health care as an advisor for a residential unit, assisting adults in building skills necessary for independent living. She cares deeply about understanding and supporting the people around her.

Leah is inspired by the uniqueness of each individual with whom she comes into contact, and she works to create spaces where, artistically and otherwise, each person can bring their whole, authentic selves. Her poetry reflects this deep desire to mold the spaces that we exist in, offering commentary on the often-overlooked parts of life. Leah's poetry has been used for worship in Mennonite, United Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches, and has been published in Eastern Mennonite University's The Weathervane, and The Phoenix, a newspaper and arts journal, respectively. In 2024, her poetry will appear in new publications of Glacial Hills Review through Choeofpleirn Press, and an independent anthology titled Tales of Migration.

Leah Wenger received masters degrees in Historical Performance Voice and Musicology at Peabody Institute in May of 2024 with academic honors. She received her B.S. in Psychology and Vocal Performance at Eastern Mennonite University, where she was also the President of the Student Government and goalkeeper for the women's soccer team. Leah demonstrates a rare combination of investigative curiosity, diverse academic interests, and an appetite for meticulous research alongside her performance pursuits.

About Morayo Akande, soprano

Morayo Akande is an excellent amateur vocalist whose musical journey began in a small Episcopal church choir in rural Southern Illinois. She studied at Brown University, where she was president of Brown Opera Productions and performed lead roles in opera and musical theater. Mo sung as a soprano, cantor, and soloist at Grace Episcopal Church (Providence, RI) and currently sings at Grace & St. Peter's Episcopal (Baltimore, MD).