Michael Leopold holds degrees in historical plucked instruments from Sacramento State University (1998) and in lute and theorbo from L'Istituto di Musica Antica of the Accademia Internazionale della Musica (2004) in Milan, Italy. Originally from Northern California, he performs both as a soloist and as an accompanist throughout Europe, Australia, Japan, Chile, Mexico and the United States.
In addition to his work with Ars Lyrica, the Catacoustic Consort and other American period-instrument ensembles, he has played with a number of leading Italian early music groups, including Concerto Italiano, La Risonanza, La Venexiana and La Pieta' de' Turchini. He has also collaborated with several orchestras and opera companies, including Orchestra Verdi di Milano, Opera Australia, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and Portland Opera. He can be heard in recordings on the Stradivarius, Glossa, Naïve, and Naxos labels.
