Most recently, in 2023 Leisa and her band were featured on the cover of International Musician Magazine, and Leisa won a "Toronto Musician of the Year" award in 2021 and 2022.
Born in Kitchener and raised in Sudbury, ON. Music was a passion for this little girl with the big voice, and by age 16 she had already sang solo concerts for Queen Elizabeth, Terry Fox, Teddy Kennedy, Wayne Gretsky, and been asked to sing the national anthem at the Special Olympics, the Labatt Curling Briar and for a Canada-Russia hockey game!
Her career truly began when director Walter Learning and the late Don Harron discovered her, casting Leisa as "Anne" in Anne of Green Gables at the Charlottetown Festival in PEI. Leisa played this role for six seasons, including Canada, USA & Japan Tours, taping for CBC Radio, filming for television, a guest appearance on "Front Page Challenge" & three (3) Royal Command Performances. Since then her career has taken her to more than 50 countries, performing at major theatres in Canada and the US in roles as varied as Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday; Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow; Guenevere in Camelot; Peter in Peter Pan (Canada and U.S.); I Love You, You're Pefect, Now Change! (U.S.A. National off-Broadway tour); Magnolia in Showboat; Maria in The Sound of Music; Dave Carley's Test Drive and Norm Foster's The Love List (at six theatres from coast to coast), among many others.
Early in her career, Leisa worked as a marketing/publicity person for various theatres in Canada, and these skills were extremely beneficial when she decided to begin producing and creating shows. Leisa has now created twelve hugely successful concerts that have performed to sold-out houses at over 100 theatres across Canada. In 2020, Leisa debuted the 12th concert she has created, a celebration of the music of legendary Canadian singer/songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot.
Leisa is very proud of her entire team and the fine musicianship of The Wayward Wind Band, and feels privileged to be able to share this music and the incredible stories with audiences. There is no greater feeling than connecting with an audience, and Leisa is grateful for the opportunity to put smiles on faces and joy in hearts with these concerts.
