Kasumi Leonard, currently 2nd Flute/Piccolo of the Sarasota Opera, is sought after for her expressive performances and colorful sound. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she maintains a thriving freelance career, traveling nationwide to perform with orchestras and chamber ensembles.

Kasumi began her career with The United States Army Field Band, where she performed from 2009-2016, touring 100 days per year. She traveled with the Field Band across 48 states on 18 national tours and was a regularly featured soloist. Following her tenure with the Army Field Band, Kasumi continued building an orchestral career, recently performing as Piccolo/3rd Flute with the Omaha Symphony for the 2022-2024 seasons. She has also appeared as Guest Principal Flute with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of JoAnn Falletta, performing on Naxos recording projects that were nominated for GRAMMY awards for two consecutive years in the category of Best Orchestral Performance. Her work with the BPO included a Florida tour on principal flute and a New York City tour on piccolo.

Kasumi’s performance credits extend to engagements with the Des Moines Metro Opera on principal flute, Kansas City Symphony, Cabrillo Festival for Contemporary Music, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Jackson Hole Chamber Festival, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, and Joe Illick’s Santa Fe New Year’s Eve Orchestra.

Kasumi holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied flute under the tutelage of Bonita Boyd and piccolo with Anne Lindblom Harrow. She completed a Professional Studies Diploma at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a student of Tim Day.

Originally from Seattle, WA, Kasumi was raised in a family of visual artists, which deeply influenced her creative approach to music. Her foundational mentors included flutist Bonnie Blanchard, conductor Anna Edwards, and Seattle Symphony piccoloist Zart Dombourian-Eby. Her early years were marked by extensive involvement with the Seattle Youth Symphony and success in local competitions, setting the stage for her professional performance career.