Meet John Leonard

The UK-based sound designer John Leonard of Aura Sound will be part of the faculty at the inaugural BSMC (Broadway Sound Master Classes) in New York City, June 28-29, 2003. Leonard, who works in the UK as well as quite often in the US and Europe, had a very busy year in 2002, with shows on Broadway and in the West End as well as exhibition work in Amsterdam and the UK. He was also invited to speak at the USITT conference in New Orleans at the beginning of the year, went back to the UK to mount a double bill of Shakespeare plays for the RSC, and then briefly returned to the USA to make the final adjustments to the transfer of Private Lives to the Richard Rogers Theatre, with John Owens overseeing the main part of the work. Whilst in New York, Leonard was inducted into IATSE Local 1 and is proud to be one of only a very few non-US members of this illustrious body.

After a summer spent in various parts of the country, Leonard returned to the USA to participate in LDI2002 in Las Vegas, where he was astonished to be honored with the 2002 Sound Designer of the Year award. He managed to leave Vegas without losing any money, and traveled to Winston-Salem for a quick lecturing visit to North Carolina School for the Arts, courtesy of David Smith. Pausing only to pay homage at the shrine of the Krispy Kreme Donut Factory, he then swung through New York to check out the Apollo Theatre for the RSC's tour of Midnight's Children, and to make some small changes at the Madame Tussaud's exhibition.

Complete details about the BSMC as well as the ninth annual BLMC on June 25-27, and the 11th annual EDDY Awards on Friday, June 27, can be found at the Entertainment Design website, or click on the banner below for the BLMC/BSMC website.