Leeds Lieder is a small charity based in Leeds. It exists to advance the education of the public and promote the understanding, appreciation, composition and performance of art-song, both its poetry and its music. Specifically, Leeds Lieder promotes concerts in Leeds, including a well-known and widely admired biennial festival. Its founder and first director was the singer Jane Anthony. Following Anthony's death in 2014, she was succeeded as director by the pianist Joseph Middleton.
Leeds Lieder conducts its work through the promotion of concerts and the delivery of education and outreach activity. Described in The Times as 'one of the most exuberant and far-reaching festivals of art-song in the UK', it is best known for its biennial festivals, which have taken place since 2005. Many distinguished singers have appeared at the festivals, including Barbara Bonney, Christiane Karg, Dame Felicity Lott, Mark Padmore, and James Gilchrist. Each festival has been curated by a different guest artistic director. To date these have been pianists Iain Burnside (2005), Roger Vignoles (2007), Julius Drake (2009), Malcolm Martineau (2011), and Graham Johnson (2013). Leeds Lieder is committed to new music, and has commissioned works from a number of eminent composers, including Sally Beamish, Judith Bingham, Gavin Bryars and Gabriel Jackson. The next Leeds Lieder festival will take place in April 2016, when the artistic director will be baritone Roderick Williams.