Originally from Iowa, Soprano Leah Podzimek is a versatile performer, producer, and administrator currently based in Denver. She performs regularly throughout the Rocky Mountain Region and has been seen on stages throughout the United States and Europe as both a soloist and a member of internationally recognized ensembles. Performances range from baroque concerts to world-premiere operas and immersive, interactive productions.

Hailed as “opulent and rich”, Ms. Podzimek’s recent roles include Mrs. Gleaton (Susannah) and Second Lady (The Magic Flute) with Opera Fort Collins, Rosita & Fulang (Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World) with Central City Opera, Princess Dora (The Three Feathers) with Opera Steamboat, and Voice 1 in the world premiere of composer Nathan Hall’s new opera, Atlas of Remote Islands. She looks forward to joining the roster of St. Petersburg Opera as an Emerging Artist, covering the role of Liù in their March 2024 production of Turandot.

Ms. Podzimek is the core vocalist of the Denver-based premiere new music group, The Playground Ensemble, with whom she will present a concert in February 2024 featuring works by Paola Prestini, Kate Soper, and Leaha Maria Villarreal.

Ms. Podzimek also works extensively through her business, Luster Productions, to produce and perform interactive performances including Missed Connection: A musical mystery adventure in September 2023 and installments of INTERPLAY: Art + Opera throughout 2023.

Ms. Podzimek received her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from Wartburg College, and her Master of Art in Arts Administration & Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. While abroad she performed roles with OperaGold (Tytania/A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Giornata Opera (Suor Osmina/Suor Angelica), and Park Opera (Chloë/The Queen of Spades). She has received scholarships to attend and perform at the Aldeburgh Festival, Dartington International Summer School for Music, Abingdon School for Solo Singers, OperaWorks in Los Angeles, and received third place and the Myrle F. Hoffman Memorial Award at the 2018 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition. She was recently the sole Vocal Fellow at the 2023 Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice, where she premiered a new piece by Jacob Lane and performed works by Cage, Epstein, Villarreal, and more.

She currently studies with Dramatic Soprano Alexandra LoBianco.

In addition to her active career as a performer, Ms. Podzimek is a freelance arts administrator & creative independent producer. She works with non-profit arts organizations to support their fundraising, event planning, operations, and project management efforts. She has held leadership roles as both a full-time employee and a freelance contractor with Boulder Symphony and Curious Theatre, and management positions with Opera Colorado, Opera Steamboat, The Playground Ensemble, Meow Wolf Denver, and most recently, PROTOTYPE. She currently serves as a Board Member At-Large with Junkyard Social Club and as Board Secretary of Control Group Productions.

Ms. Podzimek is also the owner of Luster Productions. With a vision of reaching people who haven’t yet experienced opera and might have some preconceptions about it, Luster is a unique production company that embraces operatic storytelling and the trend of immersive theatre to create engaging music theater experiences. Luster’s mission is to use music theater and opera to tell stories that contemporary audiences can relate to, embracing the diverse array of lived experiences of both composers and artists to create innovative musical experiences that connect audiences. Recent Luster projects of note include co-producing the critically acclaimed immersive Japanese folktale experience, ZOTTO: A Supernatural Japanese Folktale, the world premiere of Unbound: A Kink Opera by Nathan Hall, and a new, immersive operatic adventure, Missed Connection.