"Leo is fast making a name for himself as one of the great young British conductors to watch".
James Murphy, CEO, Royal Philharmonic Society
About
Leo Geyer is a young composer and conductor with a passion for imaginative, daring and dramatic approaches to music-making, encompassing new work, interdisciplinary collaborations and reimaginings of existing music. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Constella OperaBallet and Music Director for the Devon Philharmonic Orchestra and works as a guest artist internationally. Leo is also the Senior Music Scholar at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford studying for a doctorate in opera-ballet composition under the supervision of Prof. Robert Saxton. Alongside his composing and conducting endeavours, Leo recently joined the BBC Open Music Programme on the pathway to become a presenter for Radio 3 and the BBC Proms.
Aged 19, Leo founded an orchestra which has now grown to become Constella OperaBallet – the world’s only company dedicated to the fusion of opera and ballet. Leo has brought together internationally renowned artists in over 75 critically acclaimed performances across the UK, including radio and television broadcasts. During the pandemic, Gramophone Magazine described Constella as "one of the organisations keeping music alive” for Connecting Stars - a live and interactive virtual performance programme for care home residents across the UK. Having given 200 virtual performance over the last year, Arts Council England awarded Constella £60,000 to significantly expand the programme.
Leo has received various accolades for composition, having most recently been awarded the Lord Mayor’s Composition Prize. He has received particular acclaim for his stage works, including his opera The Mermaid of Zennor, described by The Times as “imaginative and beautifully shaped”. Leo has fulfilled major commissions, which include works for the European Capital of Culture, Tate St. Ives, Opera North, Rambert Dance Company and BBC Singers. Leo is also establishing a reputation for his "reimaginings," which creatively engage with music of the past to extend its significance for today's audiences. Most notably this has included the addition of a chorus to Elgar's Enigma Variations to provide a possible solution to the "enigma puzzle".
Leo began his conducting career at the Royal Opera House as a Cover Conductor for The Royal Ballet. Leo now enjoys a busy and diverse portfolio in opera, ballet, theatre and concert music. As well as his current conducting positions, Leo works as a guest conductor collaborating with English National Opera, English Chamber Orchestra, National Theatre, Ensemble 212 (USA) and AUT (Denmark). He has been described by James Murphy, CEO of the Royal Philharmonic Society as “one of the great young British conductors to watch”.
London-born, Leo studied at Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music on the Joint Course, graduating with two first class degrees and The Soroptimists International of Manchester Award for Composers/Conductors. As part of his studies, Leo also attended the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts to study conducting with Uroš Lajovic.
For shortened biography and photos, please click here.
Press
Constella OperaBallet
For reviews and interviews with Leo, Constella's Founder and Artistic Director, please click here.
"Pure opera - the holy grail"
WhatsOnStage
"Leo sets out to explore new music but make it accessible to a wide audience."
Suzy Klein, BBC Radio 3
"Geyer’s skill at dissolving elevated speech into aria, duet and trio set up the ebb and flow of musical tides."
The Times
Spirit of Cornwall
Awarded Silver-Gilt Medal
For broadcasts and interviews about Leo's music at the Chelsea Flower Show
please click here.
"just divine"
Joanna Lumley, BBC 2
"a unique creative collaboration"
The Telegraph
Sideshows
For reviews and interviews about Leo's award-winning opera-ballet Sideshows, please click here.
"Geyer's 'Sideshows' is anarchic fairground fun, with an intricate score bristling with darting and sinuous lines."
The Opera Magazine
"An utter delight"
British Theatre
"Excellent musical mayhem"
The Daily Express
Interviews include:
- Classic FM
- BBC Radio 3 In Tune
- Classical Music Magazine
Music
Click links below for further information, recordings and sheet music purchasing.
Dramatic
opera-ballet scene
Mozart's
reimagined opera
Purcell's
reimagined opera
Struass's
reimagined opera
chamber opera
piano, objects & dance
opera-ballet scene
chamber opera-ballet
incidental music
chamber opera-ballet
cross-art collaboration
dance & reed trio
opera-ballet film
Large Ensemble
symphony orchestra
Saint-Saën's
reimagined for
symphony orchestra
Elgar's
reimagined for
symphony orchestra & chorus
Mozart's
reimagined for
chamber orchestra
(version also for wind orch.)
chamber orchestra
self-isolating orchestra & chorus
wind orchestra
violin & strings
trumpet & orchestra
symphony orchestra & chorus
wind orchestra
Small Ensemble
small ensemble
self-isolating small ensemble
small ensemble
guzheng & ensemble
open ensemble
small ensemble
small ensemble
flute choir
Chamber
violin & piano
2 bassoons & piano
flute, violin & cello
flute quartet
wind quintet
harp trio
clarinet & string trio
clarinet quartet
bassoon quartet
clarinet, cello & piano
wind quintet
trumpet, piano & optional perc.
bassoon & piano
Schubert's
reimagined wind quintet
bassoon & harp
(also version for tenor sax)
Vocal
baritone, ensemble & electronics
open-score a cappella choir
mezzo-soprano & piano
4-part a cappella choir
mezzo-soprano & ensemble
female vocal trio
mezzo-soprano & ensemble
4-part a cappella choir
8-part a cappella choir
Solo
bassoon
piano
violin
piano
cimbalom
piano
organ
violin
bassoon & electronics
oboe
double bass and loop pedal
Diary
30 Sept 2021
30 Sept 2021
14 - 28 Oct 2021
23 Oct 2021
2 - 4 Nov 2021
Baseless Fabric Theatre
Research and Development
Geyer / Turner reimagining of Bizet's Carmen
Lantern Arts Centre
20 Nov 2021
28 Nov 2021
Junior Trinity Wind Orchestra & Composers' Ensemble
Conducted by Geyer and Bloom
Woolwich Works
2021 - 2022 Season
Shop
With support from Arts Council England, Leo Geyer has published his entire composition catalogue. Following a launch concert at Kings Place in March 2020, all of Leo's music is now available to purchase and hire.
Leo's catalogue includes 70 titles encompassing solo works to full opera-ballet productions and compositions for professional, amateur and student musicians.
Leo Geyer
composer | conductor
Leo Geyer
composer | conductor
Film
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