LEIGH, ADÈLE

LEIGH, ADÈLE (1928–2004), British soprano. Leigh was born in London into a Polish-Jewish immigrant family. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, then at the Juilliard School, New York, with Maggie Teyte. Leigh made her Covent Garden début in 1948 (Xenia in Boris Godunov), and remained a member of the company until 1956. She distinguished herself in Mozart, Strauss, and Massenet roles, took the title role in Manon, and appeared in the first performances of Vaughan Williams' Pilgrim's Progress (1951) and Tippett's Midsummer Marriage as Bella (1955). Leigh pursued a parallel career in show business. She became a member of the Vienna Volksoper as principal operetta soprano (1963–72). Johann Strauss, Lehar, and Kalman became her staple fare for the next few years. She appeared in Israel with the famous composer Robert Stolz. Stolz was invited to conduct Night in Vienna concerts with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 1963. The concerts achieved tremendous success. Her American debut was in Boston in 1966. She later came out of retirement to sing Gabrielle (La vie parisienne) at the Brighton Festival in 1984 and Heidi Schiller in Sondheim's Follies in London in 1987. Leigh combined a pleasing lyric soprano and musical sensibility with a charming stage appearance. In her later years she taught at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. -ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Grove Online; MK; "Adèle Leigh," in: Opera (2004), 940–41. (Naama Ramot (2nd ed.)