Leslee Wood is a singer, composer, and musicologist. Her music draws inspiration from the sounds of the natural world and from humankind’s tenuous relationships with the earth and with each other. Loss and redemption are persistent themes in her work, which has explored contemporary issues from gun violence and sexual assault to climate change. As both a performer and scholar, her affinity for the musical practices of the middle-ages lends a timeless quality to her compositions. Chant, improvisation, sophisticated rhythmic counterpoint, and early contrapuntal techniques combine with colorful, searing harmonies and contemporary forms. Leslee holds a master’s degree in musicology and her scholarship focuses on the socio-musical practices of medieval France. Putting equal focus on primary source study and practical realization, Leslee has presented/performed her research at the Historical Performance Institute at IU, Newberry Library, Mid-America Medieval Association, and the Jewell Early Music Festival. In 2018, she was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities grant for participation in a multi-disciplinary study of Trouvère song. She is the co-founder of Ruckus Music Publishing, dedicated to producing practical performance scores of music by underrepresented composers. Currently she is preparing a new edition of the works of sisters and 16th c. composers Rafaella and Vittoria Aleotti. Leslee is the founder and artistic director of Ignea Strata, a women's vocal quartet noted for “sublime execution of a blended, cohesive sound ...that offers a unique musical and intellectual challenge.” She is a founding member of new music ensemble KC VITAs and from 2016-2021 served as the ensemble's composer-in-residence.