Welcome! I’m Mary-Jannet Leith, a Scottish musician, researcher, and educator based in London. Across my career, whether through performance, publication or teaching, there is nothing I enjoy more than bringing forgotten musical stories to life for new audiences. I specialise in the musical world of the eighteenth century, and recently was awarded a PhD in Musicology, which explored the fascinating lives of Scottish musicians in historical London. Currently, I perform professionally on the recorder, manage my own period group, Ensemble Hesperi, and teach for the Music Department at University of York and Lawrence University London Centre.
“The young members of award-winning London-based early music Ensemble Hesperi have brought this carefully considered collection to multicoloured and attractively soft-polished life. Telemann's solo recorder Fantasia No 9 in E, transposed here to calmer G, appears gorgeously dulcetly lyric from Leith, her supremely nimble Vivace included. While the more madcap virtuosity of his Polish folk-influenced Trio Sonata in G minor (wow, Leith’s rapid Vivace passagework!) comes suitably brighter-hued, there’s still a lovely cantabile nonchalance to it all.”
Review, A Gift for your Garden, Charlotte Gardner, Gramophone, January 2025
