Mary Jane Leach is an American composer based in New York City. She has been a member of the Downtown Ensemble, composer in residence at Sankt Peter, Köln, and has recordings on XI, New World Records, and Lovely Music. In the late 1970s Leach composed mainly with tape, overdubbing her own playing and singing. As her music became more frequently performed she continued writing in an "overdubbing" fashion, layering parts and experimenting with the textures created by multiple voices. Her compositional style is characterized by modality, imitation, and prolongation. Leach received a 1995 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award. She currently teaches music courses at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Leach is also the primary archivist and bibliographer of composer Julius Eastman. She met Eastman in 1981. In the late 1990s, she realized his music had been lost and set about collecting scores and recordings. With Renée Levine Packer, Leach edited Gay Guerrilla: Julius Eastman and His Music, the premiere book on Eastman's life and work.
Works
Piano Concerto for Emanuele, 2010
Piano E-Tude for Piano, Singer and Piano on Tape, 2009
Gulf War Syndrome for Piano, Clarinet, Cello, Percussion and Tape or Synthesizer and Tape or Piano, Synthesizer, Clarinet, 2-4 Instruments and Tape, 2004, 2006
Wolff Tones E-Tude for Piano and 4-6 Instruments, 2004
Dido in a Minute for Synthesizer and Tape, 2003
The Crane Dance for Soprano and eight part Female Chorus, 2002
Dido Remembered for Synthesizer and Tape, 2002
Copralalia, la la la for two sopranos and tape, 2002
Bruckstück for eight or six part Female chorus, 1989, 2002
The Great Goddess for eight part Female Chorus, 2001
Glorious Ariadne for eight part Female Chorus, 2001
By'm Bye for Piano, 2001
Hear My Voice for Soprano, eight part Female Chorus and String Quartet, 2001
I Sing of Warfare for Tenor, Male Chorus and String Quartet, 2001
Night Blossoms for Vocal quartet a cappella, 2001
Theseus Arrives for mixed chorus and String Quartet, 2000
Minos for Tenor and mixed chorus, 1999
The Sacred Dance for Soprano and String Quartet, 1999
Call to the Ceremony for mixed chorus and String Quartet, 1999
Ceremony of the Bull for mixed chorus and String Quartet, 1998
First String for String Quartet, 1998
O Magna Vasti Creta for eight part female chorus and String Quartet, 1997
Call of the Dance for Soprano and eight part female chorus, 1997
Ariadne's Lament for eight part female chorus or Trombone Choir, 1993, 1996
Ariel's Song for eight part female chorus or Trombone Choir, 1987, 1996
Song of Sorrows for mixed Chorus, 1995
Windjammer for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon, 1995
Tricky Pan for Solo Countertenor and eight Countertenors on tape, 1995
Corrina Ocarina for Flute und Harp, 1994
Xantippe's Rebuke for Solo Oboe and eight Oboes on tape, 1993
He Got Dictators for Soprano, Piano and Bass, 1993
Feu de Joie for Solo Bassoon and six Bassoons on Tape, 1992
Kirchtraum, Hörspielmusik, 1992
Bare Bones for four Trombones, 1989
Pipe Dreams for Organ, 1989
Sephardic Fragments for Soprano, 1989
Mountain Echoes for eight part female chorus, 1987
Guy de Polka for Accordion, 1987
Ariel's Song for eight part female chorus, 1987
Green Mountain Madrigal for eight part female chorus, 1985
8 x 4 for Alto flute, Clarinet, English horn und Singer, 1985
Trio for Duo for Alto flute and Singer, 1985
4BC for four Bass clarinets, 1984
Held Held for Alto flute and singer, 1984
Note Passing Note for Solo Female Singer and Female Singer on tape, 1981
