Nathan Leaf

Director of Choral Activities • North Carolina State University

Dr. Nathan Leaf is the Director of Choral Activities at North Carolina State University, where he leads the choral program and is a member of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers. He founded the NC State Choral Artists and the chamber consort Voices of a New Renaissance, and served for eight seasons as the artistic director of The Concert Singers of Cary. A versatile musician, he has garnered critical praise for his work as a conductor, composer, and recording producer. He has worked with many of North Carolina’s leading musical organizations, including the North Carolina Symphony, the NC Master Chorale and Chamber Choir, the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, Mallarmé Music, Raleigh Camerata, and the NC HIP Music Festival. From 2008-2012, Dr. Leaf was the Chorus Master for North Carolina Opera. His work with young singers emphasizes thoughtful musicality and healthy vocal production. He frequently works with local high school choir and has served as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the country. Choirs under his direction have toured in the U.S. and abroad, including performances in England, Ireland, France, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic.

 Dr. Leaf has a deep love of the church’s song and has served as a church musician in various capacities throughout his life, including several years as the choir director at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Durham. He sang for eight seasons as a member of the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus in Eugene, Oregon, and has performed with Conspirare-Company of Voices in Texas, True Concord in Arizona, and the Carnegie Hall Festival Chorus in New York City. As part of his doctoral research, he toured Central Europe as a member of the Swedish male choir Orphei Drängar. His choral compositions have been performed by choirs in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States.

Dr. Leaf earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Valparaiso University and a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin. A recipient of UT’s Bruton Graduate Fellowship, he has presented his research on Swedish choral music at multiple conferences and in several publications.