Dr. H. Leslie Adams has served as the Grace Music Minister and Choir Director for more than 15 years.  This beloved musician is an accomplished pianist and composer.

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Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Adams has an outstanding educational pedigree inluding: Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, composition with Herbert Elwell and Joseph Wood; voice with Robert Fountain; and piano with Emil Danenberg, B.M., 1955; New York, N.Y.: composition privately with Robert Starer, 1959 and Vittorio Giannini, 1960; California State University, composition with Leon Dallin and Robert Tyndall, M.Mus., 1967; Ohio State University, composition with Marshall Barnes, 1968-73, Ph.D.; University of Kansas. [post-grad] orchestration with Edward Mattila, 1974; Cleveland Institute of Music, [post-grad] orchestration with Eugene O'Brien and [privately] Marcel Dick, 1978-83.



Composing and Performing Career.: New York, N. Y.: piano accompanist for various ballet and dance companies (including studios of Ballet Russe, Robert Joeffrey and June Taylor); received numerous performances of his compositions by a variety of artists (including composer debut at Judson Hall) 1957-61. Cleveland, Ohio: Karamu House, associate musical director, 1964-65. Raton. N.M.:​ ​​



Kaleidoscope Players, music director, 1967-68. Cleveland, Ohio: Karamu House composer-in-residence, 1979-80; Cuyahoga Community College, guest composer, 1980; Cleveland Music School Settlement, composer-in-residence, 1981-82; Accord Associates, Inc., founder and president, 1980-86, and executive vice-president and composer-in-residence, 1986-92; Creative Arts, Inc., president and artist-in-residence, 1997-present. East Cleveland: Seifullah Gallery, artist-in-residence, 2011-present. Lakewood, Ohio: Grace Presbyterian Church, music/choir director, 1996-present