Bio

   Tamara’s body of work includes a wide array of music, ranging from vocal, orchestral, smaller ensembles, to solo piano works and beyond that. She has a particular fondness for electroacoustic music. Tamara has written an aleatoric piece for trumpet, voice, electronics, and tape, “Granules”; a passionate and fruitful exploration with trumpeter/composer/performer Sam Friedman. Above all, Tamara has a special place in her heart for writing for the voice. Her art song "Dirge for a Joker” placed third in the SFCM 9th Biennial art song competition, and her choral piece "De Profundis” placed second in the SFCM 14th Biennial a cappella choral competition. McLeod has been commissioned by a diverse range of entities, including the Ensemble for These Times (“Spent”, for piano trio and "Okean", for cello+tape), the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola (“For God Alone…” for accompanied SATB choir), and opera singer Susanne Mentzer (“She Could…(For Mary)”, for mezzo and piano quintet). 

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    Tamara holds a Master of Music in composition from the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Reiko Fueting, Susan Botti, and David Adamcyk. She began her journey in music composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with her mentor, David Garner, and received her Bachelor of Music in composition. She has also studied with wonderful composers/pedagogues including Michael Harrison, Aleksandra Vrebalov, and Derek Bermel. Tamara engages in art holistically. She loves poetry, visual art, film, architecture, dance: all of which enriches her sense of humanity. For Tamara, this type of engagement brings about an ever-changing perspective on creation and expression as a human being.