Canadian violinist and violist Leslie Ashworth is praised for her versatility and imaginative artistry as a performer, educator, and composer. She was a live competitor in the 2025 Tokyo International Viola Competition, a quarter finalist in the 2024 Primrose International Viola Competition, and a prize winner of the 2022 Stepping Stone International Competition. Named one of CBC’s 2021 “Hot 30 Under 30” Classical Musicians, she has performed at Carnegie Hall, Koerner Hall, the United Nations Headquarters, the Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Music Workshop, Thy Chamber Music Festival (Denmark), the European American Musical Alliance Quartet Residency (Paris), and the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance with Barbara Hannigan (Nova Scotia). She performs as a substitute musician with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

A dedicated teacher, Leslie is on faculty in Juilliard’s College, Pre-College, and Extension Divisions, teaching Ear Training and Fundamentals of Violin. She also serves as a chamber music mentor in Juilliard’s String Quartet Survey and has taught weekly music classes in NYC public elementary schools through the Morse Fellowship (2021–2025) and at Celia Cruz Summer Strings in the Bronx (2024–present).

Currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts with Misha Amory and Cynthia Phelps at The Juilliard School, Leslie previously earned her Master of Music in Viola at Juilliard as a Kovner Fellow, her MM in Violin at Rice University with Paul Kantor, and her Bachelor of Music in Violin at The Glenn Gould School under Paul Kantor and Barry Shiffman. Leslie performs on a 1696 Albani violin, generously on loan from a private benefactor, and an 1854 Joseph Rocca viola on loan from Juilliard.