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MASTERWORKS 5

Nightingale

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2026
2:00 P.M. AND 8:00 P.M.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ASHEVILLE

Darko Butorac, conductor

Isabel Leonard, voice

 

Internationally acclaimed vocalist Isabel Leonard — winner of multiple GRAMMY Awards — brings her versatile artistry and raw star power to this flagship event of the 2026 Artist Residency. She will showcase the many glittering facets of the human voice, bringing to life a curated selection of her signature roles and iconic works for voice: Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, highlights from Carmen, plus works by Rossini, Manuel de Falla, and more. 

Boulanger: D’un matin du Printemps

Ravel: Mother Goose Suite

Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915

Ravel: Alborada del Gracioso

Bizet: Habañera from Carmen

Saint-Saëns: Bacchanale from Samson et Delilah, Op. 47

Bizet: Seguidilla from Carmen

Rossini: Una voce poco fa

Buy Tickets Online 

Click the button above to purchase tickets or give our box office a call at (828) 254-7046. Box office hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday.

 

 

EVENT SPONSORS

CONCERT SPONSOR

David & Pamela Lane

Isabel Leonard, Voice
Click here to read Isabel's bio
Isabel Leonard, Voice
Click here to read Isabel's bio

Three-time Grammy Award winning artist Isabel Leonard has established herself as one of the most in demand performers as a star on the world’s leading stages and screens. The 2024 – 2025 season sees Ms. Leonard’s much anticipated return to Opéra National de Paris as Rosina in Damiano Michieletto’s production of Il barbiere di Siviglia, conducted by Diego Matheuz, and her house debut with Gran Teatre del Liceu as Anita in a concert performance of Bernstein’s West Side Story, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Ms. Leonard also returns to Houston Grand Opera to sing Angelina in Joan Font’s production of Cenerentola and for her directorial debut leading the HGO Family Day production of Cinderella, as well as her return to The Metropolitan Opera as Rosina in Bartlett Sher’s celebrated production of Il barbiere di Siviglia. Orchestral appearances include performances of Les Nuits d’été with Kevin John Edusei conducting the New York Philharmonic, and Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony conducted by music director Courtney Lewis. Ms. Leonard also continues her collaboration with guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas, performing their all-Spanish program at the Gallo Center for the Performing arts, and appears in recital with Matinee Musicale in Cincinnati, OH, Teatro de la Ciudad in Monterrey Mexico, Sala Sao Paulo, and Teatro Municipal de Río de Janeiro.

The 2023 – 2024 season saw Ms. Leonard’s return Bayersiche Staatsoper as Angelina in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s production of La Cenerentola, and a return to Los Angeles Opera to sing the roles of Donna Elvira in the Kasper Holton production of Don Giovanni as well as her signature role of Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. She also returned to Houston Grand Opera for her role debut as Maria in Francesca Zamebllo’s production of The Sound of Music, and to Washington National Opera to reprise her appearance as the title character in Offenbach’s La Périchole. Concert work includes opening the Dallas Symphony’s season in a special gala performance with Emanuel Aix, an appearance hosting Palm Beach Opera’s season gala, and a live recording of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with Gustavo Gimeno conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Additional concert appearances included Ravel’s Schéhérazade with both the New World Symphony and longtime collaborator Stéphane Denève and with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, and an eleven-city concert tour with renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Ms. Leonard also appeared in recital with Pablo Sáinz Villegas at the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, reprising their program of songs in Spanish.

Learn More

Voice Recital with Isabel Leonard
March 17 -- Click to learn more
Voice Recital with Isabel Leonard
March 17 -- Click to learn more

First Baptist Church of Asheville
March 17, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

The incomparable Isabel Leonard will take the stage alongside pianist John Arida for a recital featuring selections by Garcia-Lorca, Montsalvatge, Bizet, traditional Spanish songs, and more. A classical icon, Isabel is the featured artist for the 2026 Artist Residency; she has performed iconic leading roles in every major opera house in the world, including The Met Opera, La Scala, and Wiener Staatsoper.

Learn More

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Upcoming Events

Sunday, Sep. 6, 2026 / 7:00 p.m.
Symphony in the Park
Saturday, Sep. 26, 2026 / 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Masterworks 1: Fellowship
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026 / 7:00 p.m.
ALT ASO: Balkan Brass Meets NOLA
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 / 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Masterworks 2: Nightfall
Monday, Nov. 2, 2026 / 7:00 p.m.
ALT ASO: Jazz and Pop
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 / 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Masterworks 3: Double Take
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026 / 7:00 p.m.
Solo Piano Showcase with Inna Faliks
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026 / 7:00 p.m.
ALT ASO: Broadway & Great American Songbook
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026 / 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Handel's Messiah
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2027 / 7:00 p.m.
ALT ASO: Bayou to Appalachian Roots
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027 / 8:00 p.m.
Carmina Burana with Immersive Projection Art
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2027 / 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Masterworks 4: London
Thursday, Mar. 11, 2027 / 7:00 p.m.
ALT ASO: 80s Prom @ The Orange Peel
Saturday, Mar. 20, 2027 / 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Masterworks 5: Dedication
Thursday, Apr. 15, 2027 / 7:00 p.m.
Aaron Diehl Trio
Saturday, Apr. 17, 2027 / 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Masterworks 6: Marquee
Thursday, Apr. 22, 2027 / 8:00 p.m.
An Evening with Kelli O'Hara & the Asheville Symphony
Sunday, May. 16, 2027 / 3:00 p.m.
Holst & Heldenleben
Saturday, May. 22, 2027 / 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Masterworks 7: Homeland
SEE ALL EVENTS