Leah Blankendaal : Associate Artist
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Photo: Emma Luker
Artist website: https://leahblankendaal.com/
Artist website: https://soundcloud.com/a-thousand-facets
Leah Blankendaal is a multi-award-winning performance maker and sound artist, whose work explores stasis, light and space. Focused body autonomy, gender and transformation, her language is "kind, immersive and thoughtful," and offers "us space to breathe and to be." (Music Trust, 2020).
Blankendaal's practice spans concert music, installation and improvisation. At home as a performer and creator of experimental sound, Blankendaal has worked with leading ensembles such as Quince Ensemble (USA), Duo Alterity (USA), Rubiks Collective (VIC), Luminescence Chamber Singers (ACT), Tura New Music and STRUT Dance (WA), Soundstream (SA). Recent engagement include premiers at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Australian International Computer Music Conference (VIC), Connecticut Summerfest (USA); and performances at Make It Up Club (VIC) Ainslie Art Centre On Location Festival (ACT), and praxis ARTSPACE (SA). Her work has toured Europe, South East Asia, USA and New Zealand.
Blankendaal has received multiple awards including the ABC Classic Composer Commissioning Fund, APRA AMCOS 2020 Art Music Fund Commission, the 2020 Peggy Glanville Hicks Commission, and the 2017 Australian Music Centre Classical: Next Fellowship. She has received grants from ABC Classic, Arts ACT, Arts SA, the Music Development Office (SA), APRA AMCOS, Monash University and Country Arts SA.
Blankendaal is a represented artist with the Australian Music Centre. She released her first solo album, Alongside, Amongst, Against in September 2020.
Leah Blankendaal — current to March 2025
Selected Commissions
| Work | Commission Details | |
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| Lake (sextets: 2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass) (2024) | Written and recorded for ABC Classic as part of the 2022 Composer Commissioning Fund. | |
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Residue (trios: 2 flutes, piano) (2020) | Commissioned by the South Australian Music Development Office. |
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Alongside : flute music (2019) | Commissioned by the South Australian Music Development Office |
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Music for a Sleeping City (trios: percussion, violin, cello) (2019) | Commissioned by Creative Original Music Adelaide for performance by COMA Ensemble. |
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(i carry it in my heart) : chamber ensemble (2018) | Commissioned by Gabriella Smart, Soundstream Collective. |