Leah Claiborne, MM, DMA
- Contributing Writer
Classical pianist, Dr. Leah Claiborne, combines sensitivity and intellect to captivate her audiences. Born in Frederick, Maryland, she took the competitive stage at an early age. Ms. Claiborne was a top prize winner of the National Association of Negro Musicians Piano Competition in 2015 and winner of the IBEX scholarship, which is awarded to a female graduate pianist at the University of Michigan.
She has performed in various states across the country as well as Italy, the Czech Republic, and Germany. She was a scholarship student at the Manhattan School of Music where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree. She earned her Masters degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy, and recently completed her doctoral degree at the University of Michigan.
Apart from her musical accomplishments, Dr. Claiborne was president of the student council at the Manhattan School of Music and lead the Pan African Student Union. She was Vice President of University of Michigan’s MTNA Piano Pedagogy chapter and president of the Multicultural Arts Council. Ms. Claiborne was also the winner of University of Michigan’s MLK Spirit Award for creating a free piano program to students with a focus on music by Black composers.
