Conductor
Bio
Damnation of Faust, Vancouver Bach Choir
David Gordon Duke, The Vancouver Sun
"...it was a pleasure to hear so much orchestral detail, finely realized under Leslie Dala’s baton..."
Rigoletto, Vancouver Opera
Bernard Jacobson, Seen and Heard International - MusicWeb.uk.net
West Side Story, Vancouver Opera –
"Leslie Dala drew superb eloquent and focused playing from the orchestra, pacing the score intelligently."
Bernard Jacobson, Seen and Heard International - MusicWeb.uk.net
Dynamic young conductor Leslie Dala opens Vancouver Opera‘s 2011/12 season, leading eight performances of Bernstein’s beloved West Side Story. Recently appointed as Music Director of Vancouver Bach Choir, in his first season with this established ensemble Maestro Dala conducted performances of Handel's Messiah, Rachmaninoff Vespers, and Berlioz' Damnation of Faust, starring John Relyea. Equally at home with symphonic music, opera and contemporary music, Leslie is steadily in demand across the country. In 2009, Leslie was chosen as Principal Conductor of the Vancouver Academy of Music, and for eight seasons held the position of Music Director and Conductor of the Prince George Symphony, the longest-serving Music Director in the history of the organization. During his tenure, the orchestra presented several premieres of newly-commissioned works and gave many performances of important 20th Century works.
As Associate Conductor and Chorus Master of the Vancouver Opera, Leslie has prepared over fifty mainstage productions and conducted the company premiere of Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera in 2004 and performances of Rigoletto in 2009. In 2007 he conducted the Festival Vancouver Opera Gala concert with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and soloists Measha Bruggergosman and Richard Margison. Leslie has collaborated with the UBC Opera Ensemble for several seasons in productions of Cosi fan Tutte, La Boheme, Die Fledermaus, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, HMS Pinafore, and the popular "Merry Evening of Opera" concerts presented by the Bard on the Beach Festival.
Leslie Dala was the cover conductor for the 2010 world premiere of Lewis Spratlan's opera Life is a Dream at the prestigious Santa Fe Opera Festival, where he also covered Kaija Saariaho's Adriana Mater in 2008, served as music staff on Verdi's Falstaff, and in 2009 covered Gluck's Alceste starring Christine Brewer.
Previously held positions for this versatile conductor include Music Director of Les Jeunes Voix du Rhin, in Strasbourg, France (2001/2) and the Opera as Theatre program at Banff Centre, where he conducted John Estacio’s Lilian Alling in 2011. He has worked with the Canadian Opera Company, Edmonton Opera, Soundstreams Canada, Tapestry New Opera, Vancouver New Music and the Okanagan Vocal Arts Festival. An avid performer of contemporary music, Leslie as recorded three dramatic works by Canadian composer Harry Somers, including Death of Enkidu starring tenor David Pomeroy for Centrediscs, and worked with all of the leading contemporary music ensembles in Vancouver, including the Hard Rubber Orchestra, Standing Wave and the Turning Point Ensemble.
Guest conducting appearances include The Nutcracker with Vancouver Opera Orchestra for Goh Ballet, and Ottawa's Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, featuring bass baritone Giles Tomkins in a program including Samuel Barber's Dover Beach. For Musicfest Vancouver, Leslie led the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 2011 with superstar Sarah McLachlan.