Chris Hewitt of the Star Tribune described Ilah Raleigh as “singing with dignity, beauty and power.” Dr. Raleigh’s training in the Italian bel canto vocal tradition and contemporary commercial vocal pedagogy is complemented by a doctorate in Education Leadership. She is a performing artist, arts education leader, and writer.
As an operatic artist, Dr. Raleigh’s wide ranging voice comfortably straddles the line between mezzo-soprano and soprano roles. She delights in telling new stories through song and seeks to contribute to the expansion of the American lyric theater canon. She frequently performs in recital, sharing her love for African American and Spanish art song repertoire. Her performance credits include productions with Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Orlando, the Lakes Area Music Festival in Brainerd, MN, and the Elision Theatre in Crystal, MN. She has also performed with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic, the MacPhail Spotlight Series, Thursday Musical, and the An die Musik “Live! Concert Series.” She recently presented a series of educational recitals for students ages 4 to 18 exploring African American cultural aesthetics and history through art songs by noted African American composers William Grant Still, Charles Lloyd Jr., and H. Leslie Adams.
Dr. Raleigh’s passion for arts education and commitment to equity and accessibility are evident in her work in community education, PreK-12 education, and higher education. She has served on the faculties of the Dougherty Family College and the Department of Music at the University of St. Thomas; the St. Paul Conservatory of Performing Artists, where she was Chair of the Vocal Arts Department; Perpich Arts High School; and MacPhail Center for Music. She currently serves as the PK-12 Director of Visual and Performing Arts at The Blake School, in Hopkins, MN.
Dr. Raleigh’s scholarship includes a chapter in “Engaging Pedagogies for Diverse Learners” (Rowman & Littlefield) a book on innovative curricula edited by Sarah Noonan, Ed.D., and published in Fall 2023. In her 2022 honors dissertation, “Mixed People, Mixed Music: Hybrid Contemporary Commercial Music Genres and the Multiethnic Artists Who Create Them ‘examined the experiences and contributions of contemporary multiethnic artists and the
historical development and racialization of country, hip hop, and reggaetón. She is currently writing a general interest book to be published in Fall 2026 on the cultural forces, artists, and producers that together created the pan-Latinx genre reggaetón.
In addition to an Ed.D. from the University of St. Thomas, Dr. Raleigh holds a Master of Music, Vocal Performance, from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in Italian Studies (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Minnesota.
To learn more about Dr. Raleigh’s professional activities, please visit www.ilahraleigh.com
