BIOGRAPHY
Leslie Harrington has nearly 6 decades of performance experience.
Mr. Harrington’s early years were on a ranch in western Oklahoma. His first musical experience was in a talent contest in 1951. Leslie and his brother won the contest and he made his first income from singing. Private study of music and performance in voice began with Mary Pedigo in Elk City, Oklahoma in 1959. In junior-high and high school Leslie receiving many commendations and awards for his singing.
Oklahoma State University awarded Mr. Harrington a full scholarship grant in music for vocal performance. There he began the study of vocal pedagogy with Sunny Van Eton along with choral conducting, elementary and secondary music education, as well as stage and concert performance.
In Chicago at Moody Bible Institute Leslie continued vocal pedagogy with Dr. Wilbur Burton. At American Conservatory Of Music Mr. Harrington studied Bel Canto technique with Eileen Deneen and coached art song repertoire and opera styles with John Browning, renowned concert pianist and vocal coach.
In Los Angeles, California he studied vocal technique privately with Elisabeth Parham, Professor of Vocal Music at California State University, Northridge. There he coached with David Scott, Dean of Music at Cal-State - Northridge, and appeared in several of their productions. He also coached and performed with Henrietta Pelta, founding director emeritus of Euterpe Opera of Los Angeles. Mr. Harrington prepared several roles with well-known vocal coach Jack Metz, Marilyn Horn’s favorite repertory coach in California.
Mr. Harrington has also been in many workshops and master classes in acting and performance with other prominent performing artists including Lee Strasberg (eminent actor and founder of the Actors’ Studio), Beverly Sills (distinguished operatic soprano, General Director of New York City Opera), Tito Capobianco (famed operatic stage director, General Director of various major opera companies), Licia Albanese (soprano, celebrated opera star), and Luciano Pavarotti (illustrious tenor, opera and concert star).
In New York City he studied vocal technique many years with John Bullock (father of Sandra) and Franco Iglesias (teacher of Placido Domingo, famous opera tenor), and been mentored by such opera luminaries as Jerome Hines and Franco Corelli.
Mr. Harrington’s performance career includes concert, opera, around the country and internationally. He commenced his concert career almost as soon as he began vocal studies. Leslie has credits in musical theatre, film and daytime television, as well as audio recording and commercial advertising in both television and radio.
His operatic career got underway in Chicago with several community groups leading to a summer workshop with Isaac Van Grove, coach and conductor for Mary Garden (famous opera star) at Inspiration Point Music Festival in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He continued in apprenticeship with Santa Fe Opera and Western Opera Theater in San Francisco and San Diego Opera Workshop. Leslie also toured in the western United States with the William Hall Chorale of Los Angeles as principle soloist. While in New York City he performed as principle artist with many regional opera companies, with various NYC community theater, opera, and musical workshops, and international productions. He was invited to join the Broadway cast of “EVITA”. While in “EVITA,” Mr. Harrington began performing in broadcast commercial advertisements.
Mr. Harrington recorded the American Musical Theatre Commemorative Edition of “NAUGHTY MARIETTA” honoring Victor Herbert for the Smithsonian Institution of Washington, D.C. receiving critical acclaim by Stereo Review (Feb. 1982) and other publications for the recording. He joined the Broadway National Tour of “OKLAHOMA!” from the musical’s first Broadway revival. He has similarly been acclaimed for his concert and operatic performance by news and current affairs periodicals including THE NEW YORK TIME, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE LOS ANGELES TRIBUNE, and many other publications around the United States and internationally. His singing has also contributed to national primetime television commercials: “Diet Pepsi – Uh Huh! The Audition” with Ray Charles (Super Bowl XXV, 1991), and New Coke “Desert Island” (1985) as examples.
Performing has been most rewarding to Mr. Harrington and he enjoys sharing his experience and education. At every occasion whether simple or grand, in ensemble, as soloist, principle artist, or teacher he shares the gift of singing with as much fervor as when he first began. Because of his expertise in vocal pedagogy and performance experience his co-performers have frequently turn to him when they have vocal problems. Leslie has developed a method of vocal instruction based on the instinctive reflexes of breath and phonation. Mr. Harrington has been on the faculty of the University of New Mexico - Taos as adjunct instructor. He has also taught applied music courses in voice at Adams State College, Alamosa, CO and at the College of Santa Fe, NM. Mr. Harrington teaches privately in Santa Fe, N.M. and has developed www.singingworld.com to instruct vocal technique in live videoconference sessions to all those anywhere who wish to learn the thrill of singing and public or stage speaking with ease.
Certification in Vocal Reflexology is available to instructors. For details contact Mr. Harrington.
EDUCATION
See biography
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