Meet the Artist-Leann Sandel-Pantaleo
In our most recent blog article, we described the title character in Carmen as “murderous” and “lustful”. Who is the woman singing that part on stage for Opera Omaha this November? The kind, vivacious mezzo-soprano, Leann Sandel-Pantaleo. She is, although not murderous in real life, capable and convincing on stage. The singer’s biography and a link to her website is below. Enjoy!
Leann Sandel-Pantaleo Biography provided by Fletcher Artists Management
Following recent performances of Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Leann Sandel-Pantaleo was praised by the Portland Press Herald with the exclamation that “she has a glorious voice…. and she took fire.”
This season, Ms. Sandel-Pantaleo returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago to cover Jezibaba in Rusalka, and joins both Opera Omaha and Tulsa Opera as the title role in Carmen.
During the 2012-2013 season, Ms. Sandel-Pantaleo joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago, to cover the Witch in Hänsel und Gretel, and returned to Teatro alla Scala and the Berlin Staatsoper as Siegrune in Die Walküre, and to North Carolina Opera, as Amneris in Aida. She also sang Siegrune at the BBC Proms in London.
The mezzo-soprano’s 2011-2012 season began with the title role in Carmen with North Carolina Opera, and continued with Verdi’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall, and a return to the Staatsoper Unter den Linden for further performances of Siegrune.
Ms. Sandel-Pantaleo began the 2010-2011 season covering the title role in Carmen at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and later debuted at Teatro alla Scala and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden as Siegrune in Die Walküre.
In the summer of 2010, she bowed as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana with Chautauqua Opera. In the 2009-10 season, she returned to the title role of Carmen with Utah Opera, and sang her first performances of Bluebeard’s Castle with Fondazione Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi under the baton of Oleg Caetani.
In the 2008-09 season, Ms. Sandel-Pantaleo made debuts at Houston Grand Opera as Ursule in Béatrice et Bénédict followed by Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and San Francisco Opera as Flora in La traviata. She also sang further performances of the title role in Carmen with Hawaii Opera Theater and returned to the Metropolitan Opera to reprise Siegrune in Die Walküre.
Other recent performances to her credit include Amneris in Aida with both Portland Opera and El Paso Opera, Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana with PORT Opera, and the title role of Carmen with Chautauqua Opera. She has joined the Metropolitan Opera for previous performances of Siegrune in Die Walküre and Flora in La traviata as well as numerous other productions including Die Ägyptische Helena, Luisa Miller, Manon, and Parsifal.
On the concert stage, she has recently joined the Brooklyn Philharmonic for Stravinsky’s Pulcinella and has appeared as soloist at other symphony orchestras including those of Indianapolis, Alabama, Erie, Pacific, Nevada, La Jolla, Evansville, San Diego, Westchester, and Lafayette.