Programming
Leah offers tailored programming consultancy to performers to expand their repertoire with exciting works by neglected composers. She provides everything from practical information about score locations and orchestrations, to help engaging audiences in a new way by bringing them to unfamiliar works through storytelling.
Her consultancy work has resulted in world premiere recordings and performances of works by women such as Avril Coleridge-Taylor and Alice Mary Smith. She has also presented country-wide performances of music by the composers in QUARTET, often the first time these composers have been heard at the venues in question.
If you’d like to work with Leah on either a recording or concert, please reach out via the contact form! There are also free resources for concert programming available via her Substack, including guides for concertos and orchestral works by British and Irish composers, and a full catalogue of works by Avril Coleridge-Taylor.
Her consultancy work has resulted in world premiere recordings and performances of works by women such as Avril Coleridge-Taylor and Alice Mary Smith. She has also presented country-wide performances of music by the composers in QUARTET, often the first time these composers have been heard at the venues in question.
If you’d like to work with Leah on either a recording or concert, please reach out via the contact form! There are also free resources for concert programming available via her Substack, including guides for concertos and orchestral works by British and Irish composers, and a full catalogue of works by Avril Coleridge-Taylor.
Leah‘s skill and knowledge in programming is an incredible resource. She has added so much great music to my repertoire that I have been able to put forward to orchestras with a high success rate. So far I have programmed pieces I found through Leah with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, Welsh National Opera, and St Endellion Festival. Leah has provided detailed and pragmatic information about the works, including orchestrations, publishers, and even names and details for musicians who have the pieces in their repertoire. With Leah‘s help and knowledge there is no excuse for any orchestra not to offer balanced programming. - Olivia Clarke
Avril Coleridge-Taylor: Orchestral Works
Releasing in autumn 2025 ahead of the publication of Leah’s next book which features Avril Coleridge-Taylor, this album includes the world premiere recordings of her Piano Concerto, orchestral works To April and the Comet Prelude, and a new interpretation of Sussex Landscape (previously recorded by Chineke! Orchestra). Building on the success of the Grace Williams disc, it brings together the BBC Philharmonic with conductor John Andrews, and pianist Samantha Ege.
An extract from Leah’s forthcoming book is available to read here.
Releasing in autumn 2025 ahead of the publication of Leah’s next book which features Avril Coleridge-Taylor, this album includes the world premiere recordings of her Piano Concerto, orchestral works To April and the Comet Prelude, and a new interpretation of Sussex Landscape (previously recorded by Chineke! Orchestra). Building on the success of the Grace Williams disc, it brings together the BBC Philharmonic with conductor John Andrews, and pianist Samantha Ege.
An extract from Leah’s forthcoming book is available to read here.
Dr Leah Broad's research has put so many neglected composers back into the spotlight, from Doreen Carwithen to Avril Coleridge-Taylor. Historians like Dr Broad, who work behind the scenes to find the missing pieces (literally!) and get them into our concert halls, make the classical world an infinitely more exciting place for those of us who crave something new in the older traditions. - Samantha Ege
Grace Williams: Orchestral Works
With the BBC Philharmonic conducted by John Andrews, this disc of four major orchestral works by Welsh composer Grace Williams was a finalist for the Presto Recordings of the Year 2024. It includes the first commercial recordings of the Illustrations for the Legend of Rhiannon and Castell Caernarfon, written for the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969, and new interpretations of the Ballads and Sea Sketches.
Reviews:
‘An essential release.’ (Gramophone)
‘Marvellous…a welcome reminder of her strengths.’ (Limelight, editor’s choice)
‘Andrews and the BBC Philharmonic seem energized by this unfamiliar music and deliver appropriately moody performances captured in fine studio sound. Listeners will likely be delighted to discover this music.’ (AllMusic)
Sea Sketches ‘is an important work in our heritage and I hope this performance allows many more people to recognise this… I have never heard it so perfectly done.’ (MusicWeb International)
‘The sheer brilliance of the recorded sound is extraordinary and from the outset, the vividness of the orchestra under the ever-excellent John Andrews leaps out of the speakers… The well-written liner notes by Leah Broad provide a useful introduction to Ms Williams and her estimable work. This is a superb disc in every way. Let us hope there will be more of Ms Williams’ magnificent music to come.’ (British Music Society)
‘This programme is full of attractive and highly imaginative music which is well worth getting to know. The performances by John Andrews and the BBC Philharmonic present Grace Williams’s music in an ideal fashion and the recorded sound… presents both music and performances in the best possible light. As you may have inferred from the extent to which I’ve drawn on Leah Broad’s booklet essay, it is ideal as an introduction to Grace Williams and to these particular compositions.’ (MusicWeb International)
‘The BBC Philharmonic strings give what must be the finest account on record of Williams’s masterpiece, the surging, impressionistic Sea Sketches.’ (The Spectator)
With the BBC Philharmonic conducted by John Andrews, this disc of four major orchestral works by Welsh composer Grace Williams was a finalist for the Presto Recordings of the Year 2024. It includes the first commercial recordings of the Illustrations for the Legend of Rhiannon and Castell Caernarfon, written for the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969, and new interpretations of the Ballads and Sea Sketches.
Reviews:
‘An essential release.’ (Gramophone)
‘Marvellous…a welcome reminder of her strengths.’ (Limelight, editor’s choice)
‘Andrews and the BBC Philharmonic seem energized by this unfamiliar music and deliver appropriately moody performances captured in fine studio sound. Listeners will likely be delighted to discover this music.’ (AllMusic)
Sea Sketches ‘is an important work in our heritage and I hope this performance allows many more people to recognise this… I have never heard it so perfectly done.’ (MusicWeb International)
‘The sheer brilliance of the recorded sound is extraordinary and from the outset, the vividness of the orchestra under the ever-excellent John Andrews leaps out of the speakers… The well-written liner notes by Leah Broad provide a useful introduction to Ms Williams and her estimable work. This is a superb disc in every way. Let us hope there will be more of Ms Williams’ magnificent music to come.’ (British Music Society)
‘This programme is full of attractive and highly imaginative music which is well worth getting to know. The performances by John Andrews and the BBC Philharmonic present Grace Williams’s music in an ideal fashion and the recorded sound… presents both music and performances in the best possible light. As you may have inferred from the extent to which I’ve drawn on Leah Broad’s booklet essay, it is ideal as an introduction to Grace Williams and to these particular compositions.’ (MusicWeb International)
‘The BBC Philharmonic strings give what must be the finest account on record of Williams’s masterpiece, the surging, impressionistic Sea Sketches.’ (The Spectator)
"Lost Voices" with Fenella Humphreys and Nicola Eimer
Showcasing the solo violin works of Ethel Smyth, Rebecca Clarke, Dorothy Howell and Doreen Carwithen, this concert series brings the four composers to life through music and words. Presented by Leah, the concerts give an informal, intimate introduction to Smyth the suffragette, Clarke the fashionable modernist, Carwithen the enigmatic and sometimes difficult woman who made terrible tea, and Howell, who family and friends remember as someone unfailingly kind and with a zest for life. Leah, Fenella and Nicky have brought these stories to venues including the Barbican, Snape Maltings, Harrogate Music Festival, Petworth Festival, and Saffron Hall.
Reviews:
‘Everything sparkles in this carefully curated programme in such a way that you’ll leave the event wanting to hear and read more… Fenella Humphreys and Nicola Eimer play a key role in helping the audience make their own minds up about this unfamiliar selection of English romanticism, both creating magical moments where time seemed to almost stand still... Prof Leah Broad...brought the stories alive, bringing passion and enthusiasm to her subject matter without the usual knowing pretension other commentators drag to the table. In this way, Broad is effortlessly likeable. A sincere advocate who might just be what the classical music industry didn’t realise it needed most right now.’ (Thoroughly Good)
Showcasing the solo violin works of Ethel Smyth, Rebecca Clarke, Dorothy Howell and Doreen Carwithen, this concert series brings the four composers to life through music and words. Presented by Leah, the concerts give an informal, intimate introduction to Smyth the suffragette, Clarke the fashionable modernist, Carwithen the enigmatic and sometimes difficult woman who made terrible tea, and Howell, who family and friends remember as someone unfailingly kind and with a zest for life. Leah, Fenella and Nicky have brought these stories to venues including the Barbican, Snape Maltings, Harrogate Music Festival, Petworth Festival, and Saffron Hall.
Reviews:
‘Everything sparkles in this carefully curated programme in such a way that you’ll leave the event wanting to hear and read more… Fenella Humphreys and Nicola Eimer play a key role in helping the audience make their own minds up about this unfamiliar selection of English romanticism, both creating magical moments where time seemed to almost stand still... Prof Leah Broad...brought the stories alive, bringing passion and enthusiasm to her subject matter without the usual knowing pretension other commentators drag to the table. In this way, Broad is effortlessly likeable. A sincere advocate who might just be what the classical music industry didn’t realise it needed most right now.’ (Thoroughly Good)
It was a joy to work with Leah Broad on the book launch concert of QUARTET. Her passion for programming and advocating for works by underrepresented composers is contagious and inspiring. She knew how to take a niche subject and weave it into both a wonderful book and concert for wider audiences. The programme for the book launch concert with 97 Ensemble flowed smoothly with readings of excerpts of the book and made for a memorable evening. Leah knows how to tell a great story, both through words and music. - Niki Moosavi
QUARTET Events
Following the publication of QUARTET, Leah has collaborated with multiple organisations and individuals to present curated concerts of music from the book. For each event, she has worked closely with the musicians to build an experience that best fits the needs of their audiences, with venues ranging from concert halls and churches to bookshops. With the Ulster Orchestra, for example, she created a chamber programme tailored for their summer concert series, and returned to present the orchestra’s first performance of Avril Coleridge-Taylor’s Sussex Landscape the following year — while for Charleston Literary Festival she collaborated with pianist Antonio Oyarzábal to create a programme of solo piano music to run alongside her in-conversation event with author Kate Mosse. Other collaborators have included the Vermeer Chamber Concerts, Ensemble 360, Oxford International Song Festival, 97 Ensemble, and pianists Toby Anderson and Samantha Ege.
Reviews:
‘The concert room at Fairlight Hall was packed…with people eager to hear the music of four female composers... It was a stroke of genius to have invited Leah Broad...to speak about each of them: her enthusiasm for her subject was palpable and she was entertaining and knowledgeable… The listeners were left wanting more.’ (Rye News)
Following the publication of QUARTET, Leah has collaborated with multiple organisations and individuals to present curated concerts of music from the book. For each event, she has worked closely with the musicians to build an experience that best fits the needs of their audiences, with venues ranging from concert halls and churches to bookshops. With the Ulster Orchestra, for example, she created a chamber programme tailored for their summer concert series, and returned to present the orchestra’s first performance of Avril Coleridge-Taylor’s Sussex Landscape the following year — while for Charleston Literary Festival she collaborated with pianist Antonio Oyarzábal to create a programme of solo piano music to run alongside her in-conversation event with author Kate Mosse. Other collaborators have included the Vermeer Chamber Concerts, Ensemble 360, Oxford International Song Festival, 97 Ensemble, and pianists Toby Anderson and Samantha Ege.
Reviews:
‘The concert room at Fairlight Hall was packed…with people eager to hear the music of four female composers... It was a stroke of genius to have invited Leah Broad...to speak about each of them: her enthusiasm for her subject was palpable and she was entertaining and knowledgeable… The listeners were left wanting more.’ (Rye News)