Leah Grace Knight, Director

Meet the Director

ABOUT LEAH

Leah Grace Knight is a lyric coloratura soprano celebrated for her uniquely beautiful tone and her rich, full voice. She is known for her elegant musical interpretation and charming stage presence. Leah has an incredibly versatile mechanism which allows her to master many genres of music with ease, but none as effortlessly as her first love - oratorio.

EXPERIENCE

Leah has performed in a variety of operas, operettas, oratorios and musical theater productions. These performances include her debut with the Fargo Moorhead Opera as Barbarina from Le Nozze di Figaro, Olympia from Les Contes D’Hoffman, Merry Widow from The Merry Widow, Lisa from Pique Dame and countless others. Leah has enjoyed singing in the chorus for Dialogue of the Carmelites and La Traviata as well as performing the soprano solos for Carmina Burana and the Messiah. 

Leah established the Merry Melody Music Academy in Lake Park, MN in 2020 and has enjoyed enormous success and growth over the past three years. 

EDUCATION

  • Dickinson State University - Undergraduate in Vocal Performance 

  • North Dakota State University - Graduate Studies Vocal performance 

  • Johanna Meier Opera Theater Institute - Opera Performance 

  • Miami Frost school of Music in Salzburg, Austria - Opera, Oratorio & Song Cycle Performance with German Language Immersion 

AWARDS & HONORS

  • Finalist, Shirley Winston Rabb Scholarship, NATS

  • Winner, Market Place Talent Search, Market Place of Ideas

  • Winner, Summer Opera Program Scholarship, Johanna Meier Opera Theater Institute

  • Winner, First Place, North Dakota State Women’s Division, NATS (Four Consecutive Years)

  • Winner, Encouragement Award, District MET Auditions (Two Conservative Years)

  • Recipient of Music Performance and Language Study Abroad Scholarship, Salzburg College, Miami Frost School of Music

  • Winner, North Dakota State Young Artist Competition, MTNA

  • Winner, West Central Division Young Artist Competition, MTNA

  • Finalist, National Young Artist Competition, MTNA

Leah Knight is the lead instructor at the Academy and teaches voice, piano, percussion, guitar, ukulele, woodwinds, violin and group music classes of all kinds for all ages.