Leah Coloff

Leah Coloff is a cellist and singer, songwriter and composer. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, her classical roots collide with 70’s rock and a pioneer spirit. Creating songs that are honest, sensual, funny, brutal, beautiful and chilly sweet, her voice and virtuoso cello playing distinguish her own and other composer’s work. The New York Times termed her singing and playing “a combination of artful angularity and a rock-inflected assertiveness.”

Leah’s first record Dark Sweet Heart, is a collection of loud, soft, punk, rock, pretty, crazy songs. It is the epitome of her self-identified style CLUNK, classical meets punk. She performed selections at the first 21c Liederabend Festival produced by Beth Morrison Projects, voted one of the best classical performances of 2009 by Time Out New York.

Her former band, Lucibel Crater, described by Tony Visconti as “an evocative hybrid organic/electro sound with compelling melodies” created The Family Album, with guest guitar by Lou Reed. It was featured in Vogue Italia and Italian Urban Magazine.

In the classical music realm, Leah has worked with composers including Philip Glass, Joel Thome, Sean Friar and Michael Gordon. She plays for The Source, (New Amsterdam records) an oratorio by Ted Hearne, chosen one of the top 10 classical recordings of  2015 by The New York Times and The New Yorker, premiering at BAM’s Next Wave Festival and named one of 15 best classical vocal performances of 2014 by The New York Times.

She is featured on Ted Hearne’s New Amsterdam release, Outlanders, as cellist, spotlighted vocalist and creator of the sound collage interlude Dirty to Love.  Performing for Present Music’s 2013 season finale, Express Milwaukee pronounced, “The most unforgettable performances of the night were by Leah Coloff, who sang Hearne's most searing songs while ferociously playing the cello part.”

Leah is cellist and vocalist with Scorchio, resident string quartet for the Tibet House Benefit Concert produced by Philip Glass since 2001. Also, a regular performer at the Obie award winning The Secret City and a member of The Secret City band.

She has recorded with numerous musical artists including Michael Cerveris, Ziggy Marley, Linda Thompson, Dean & Britta, Angelique Kidjo, Nancy Sinatra and Mark Mulcahy among others.