Violinist/baroque violinist, Leah Gale Nelson has performed throughout North America and in Europe as soloist, leader, and orchestral player with Smithsonian Chamber Players, Washington Bach Consort, Musica Angelica, Brandenburg Collegium, Clarion Music Society, and Trinity Wall Street Baroque Orchestra, among others. She has served as concertmaster for Music of the Baroque (Chicago), Gotham Chamber Opera (NYC), Aspen Festival Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and is Artist in Residence, soloist and concertmaster for the Church of St. Luke in the Fields (NYC). Prior to immersing in historical performance, her professional orchestral training was through the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, with iconic conductors including Daniel Barenboim, John Corigliano, Christopher Hogwood, Leonard Slatkin, Georg Solti, Joan Tower, and extensively with Michael Morgan (Oakland Symphony). An avid educator, Nelson directs the New York Continuo Collective String Band, teaches historical performance at Rutgers University and Northwestern Bach Academy, and is a frequent guest instructor for Yale’s Collegium Musicum. Holding degrees from Chicago College of Performing Arts and Mannes College of Music, primary studies were with Alice Preves and David Nadien; historical performance with David Schrader, Nancy Wilson, Arthur Haas, and Michael Sand. Her recording, Biber: The Sacred Mysteries, was released on the Lyrichord label in 2011 – “an elegant and beautiful recording.” Early Music [Oxford].