Leif Thomas Woodward is an alumnus of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music where he was granted the Colburn Foundation Scholarship and graduated Pi Kappa Lambda. Leif holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California and a Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has studied violoncello with world-renowned teachers Ronald Leonard, Clive Greensmith, and Jean-Michel Fonteneau as well as historical performance under the direction of James Tyler, William Skeen, Laurette Goldberg, Dr. Corey Jamason, and Anthony Martin.
Leif has performed across the United States, Italy, France, UK, Armenia, and Russia. He is employed as a cellist, baroque cellist, and viola da gambist by groups such as: Musica Angelica, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Chorale, Tesserae (board of directors and founding member), Les Surprises Baroques, Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony, Bach Collegium San Diego, and Angeles Consort. He appears at the Carmel Bach Festival, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, Corona Del Mar Baroque Music Festival, and on the chamber music series at the John Paul Getty Museum and Villa, Norton Simon Museum, “Sundays Live” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Les Salons de Musiques, All Saints Episcopal Music Guild Chamber Music Series in Beverly Hills, Redlands Chamber Music Society, Los Angeles Musica Angelica Chamber Music Series, and at Centrum’s Chamber Music Series in Port Townsend, Washington. In addition, Leif is an active soloist and section player in the Los Angeles studio-recording industry. He has worked on film, television, and video game soundtracks for composers: James Newton Howard, Bear McCreary, Christian Linke, Sebastien Najand, Alex Temple, Austin Wintory, and Tom Holkenborg.
Leif has been a guest lecturer at the University of Southern California, and the Colburn School of Music, and is on faculty for orchestral and chamber music studies at Orange County High School of the Arts and Poly Technic High School in Long Beach. He coaches the All Southern California High School Honor Orchestra, Long Beach All District Honor Orchestra, and serves as an adjudicator for a number of prominent music competitions such as: Los Angeles Spotlight Awards, MTAC State Finals and Regionals, CMEA State Central Section, and the Long Beach Mozart Festival.
Throughout his career, Leif has received numerous honors including: the induction to Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society at the doctoral level, the Thornton School Baroque Sinfonia Director's Award, San Francisco Conservatory Honor Award in Early Music, and Sunny Brown Foundation Scholarship.
Leif has performed across the United States, Italy, France, UK, Armenia, and Russia. He is employed as a cellist, baroque cellist, and viola da gambist by groups such as: Musica Angelica, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Chorale, Tesserae (board of directors and founding member), Les Surprises Baroques, Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony, Bach Collegium San Diego, and Angeles Consort. He appears at the Carmel Bach Festival, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, Corona Del Mar Baroque Music Festival, and on the chamber music series at the John Paul Getty Museum and Villa, Norton Simon Museum, “Sundays Live” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Les Salons de Musiques, All Saints Episcopal Music Guild Chamber Music Series in Beverly Hills, Redlands Chamber Music Society, Los Angeles Musica Angelica Chamber Music Series, and at Centrum’s Chamber Music Series in Port Townsend, Washington. In addition, Leif is an active soloist and section player in the Los Angeles studio-recording industry. He has worked on film, television, and video game soundtracks for composers: James Newton Howard, Bear McCreary, Christian Linke, Sebastien Najand, Alex Temple, Austin Wintory, and Tom Holkenborg.
Leif has been a guest lecturer at the University of Southern California, and the Colburn School of Music, and is on faculty for orchestral and chamber music studies at Orange County High School of the Arts and Poly Technic High School in Long Beach. He coaches the All Southern California High School Honor Orchestra, Long Beach All District Honor Orchestra, and serves as an adjudicator for a number of prominent music competitions such as: Los Angeles Spotlight Awards, MTAC State Finals and Regionals, CMEA State Central Section, and the Long Beach Mozart Festival.
Throughout his career, Leif has received numerous honors including: the induction to Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society at the doctoral level, the Thornton School Baroque Sinfonia Director's Award, San Francisco Conservatory Honor Award in Early Music, and Sunny Brown Foundation Scholarship.