Hailing from Edinburgh, Leila began learning the flute at the age of ten. Nurtured by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland junior department and later the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, she developed a passion for performing from a young age. A graduate of the RCS, Leila gained her Bachelor of Music degree under the tutelage of Katherine Bryan. In 2017, she won the Edinburgh Competition Festival concerto prize and was awarded the Colin MacLean Bursary Award to further her studies.
Leila went on to graduate with Distinction from the Master of Music program at the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied with Kevin Gowland and Laura Jellicoe. Highlights of her time at the RNCM include winning the Hallé Professional Enterprise Scheme, performing Mahlers’ Fifth Symphony under the baton of Vassily Sinaisky, and appearing as a soloist with the RNCM New Ensemble to perform ‘Terrestre’ by Kaija Saariaho. At the RNCM she was a founding member of wind quintet Festivo Winds. Festivo won the June Emerson Launchpad Award, the John Fewkes Chamber Prize for winds and were ‘Audience favourite’ at the Christopher Rowland Chamber Ensemble of the Year competition.
Now based in Manchester, Leila enjoys a varied career comprising of performing, outreach and teaching. As an orchestral musician she has performed with many of the top orchestras across the UK. She maintains regular appearances as a chamber musician with recent highlights such as performing Poulenc’s Sextet for Piano and Winds at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and being invited to perform for the Keswick Music Society. With a keen interest in promoting new music Leila has an ongoing collaboration with UnHeard – a collective of composers in Manchester – and is always seeking to commission and perform new music. Passionate about music outreach, this year – with Festivo Winds – Leila joined the roster of musicians at Live Music Now. Teaching plays an integral role in her musical life enjoys passing on her love of music and flute playing through her teaching posts.
