Violinist/violist, composer, and visual artist Leah Asher is an avid performer of contemporary music and creator of new artistic works. Leah has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe with artists and ensembles such as Jennifer Torrence, Sanae Yoshida, Mary Auner, AJO ensemble, NOSO Sinfoniettaen, The Arctic Philharmonic, The Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, eighth blackbird, and The Rhythm Method. She has been featured as a concerto soloist with NOSO Sinfoniettaen and Oberlin’s Contemporary Music Ensemble. A passionate collaborator, Leah has worked closely with composers such as Lewis Nielson, Rebecca Saunders, Frederic Rzewski, Edward Hamel, Phillipe Manoury, and Christian Wolff. Leah formerly served as solo violist of the NOSO Sinfoniettaen and co-principal viola of the Arctic Philharmonic. She joined as a violinist of The Rhythm Method in 2016.

Seeking to bridge her artistic worlds, Leah has written numerous graphic scores and is sought out as a collaborator in interdisciplinary work. She has been commissioned by ensembles such as NorthArc Percussion group, The Contingency Plan, Cadillac Moon Ensemble, The Nouveau Classical Project, neoLIT Ensemble, and solo artists such as Meaghan Burke, Tristan McKay, Anne Lanzilotti, Kallie Ciechomski, and Jennifer Torrence. 

Leah completed her undergraduate degrees at Oberlin College and Conservatory, studying violin with Gregory Fulkerson and studio art primarily with John Pearson.  As a recipient of the Jacob K. Javits fellowship, she completed her Master’s in Contemporary Performance at Manhattan School of Music with Curtis Macomber and continued studies at UCSD under the tutelage of János Négyesy.