Multifaceted performer Leslie Odom, Jr. completed his run on Broadway starring as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the original cast of the blockbuster hit musical, “Hamilton,” a role that earned him the 2016 Tony Award for Lead Actor in a Musical. He is also a Grammy Award-winner as a principal soloist on Hamilton’s Original Broadway Cast Recording, which won the 2016 award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Odom, Jr. made his Broadway debut at the age of 17 in Rent, before heading to Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious School of Drama, where he graduated with honors. He is the recipient of a 2002 Princess Grace Award for Acting, which is dedicated to identifying emerging talent in theater, dance and film.
Additional theatre credits include Leap of Faith on Broadway, for which he won the 2012 Astaire Award for Outstanding Male Dancer on Broadway and was nominated for a Drama League Award; the 2014 musical Venice, which also played at The Public Theater; and the Encores! Off-Center production of Tick, Tick… Boom! which was his first time working with Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
On the small screen, Odom, Jr. is best-known for his portrayal of ‘Sam Strickland’ in the NBC musical series, “Smash,” and his recurring role as ‘Reverend Curtis Scott’ on “Law & Order: SVU.” He’s also appeared in episodes of “Gotham,” “Person of Interest,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House of Lies,” “Vanished” and “CSI: Miami.” On the big screen he starred in the 2012 film, “Red Tails,” opposite Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. and David Oyelowo.
Leslie’s debut solo album, “Leslie Odom, Jr,” was released in June 2016 on S-Curve Records and quickly rose to number one on the Billboard and iTunes Jazz charts.
Look for him this fall in Kenneth Branagh’s reimaging of Agatha Christie’s, Murder on the Orient Express featuring an all-star cast including Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Dame Judi Dench and more.
Odom Jr. was raised in Philadelphia, and currently resides in New York City.
The San Diego Symphony Orchestra performed its first concert on December 6, 1910. In the 100-plus years since its inception, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra has become one of the finest orchestras in the United States and was designated a Tier 1 Orchestra by the League of American Orchestras. In 2010 the Orchestra celebrated its 100th anniversary and was the first California orchestra to reach this milestone.
The San Diego Symphony Orchestra offers a wide range of concert experiences and performs over 120 concerts annually including the Jacobs Masterworks (conducted by Music Director Jahja Ling) offering classical repertoire and featuring acclaimed guest artists such as Lang Lang, Joshua Bell and Itzhak Perlman and the City Lights series led by principal pops conductor and Academy-Award® winning composer Bill Conti. Each summer, the Orchestra presents an outdoor series of Summer Pops concerts featuring classical favorites and popular programs in a festive, outdoor setting on San Diego’s picturesque waterfront.
The home of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra is the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Music Center in downtown San Diego, regarded as one of the finest classical music venues on the West Coast, originally built in 1929 as The Fox Theatre movie palace.