Canadian pianist Leslie De'Ath says he is "predisposed to root for the underdog," which shows in the choices he's made for recordings. As a soloist, he's recorded the music of Cyril Scott, Billy Mayerl, and in 2008 began a series dedicated to Florent Schmitt. He also writes about obscure pianists/composers, such as Nikolai Kapustin, but more frequently writes on the subjects of singing and diction in the Journal of Singing. In 1979 De'Ath joined the faculty of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, where he directs the opera program as well as lectures on collaborative piano and teaches studio piano. He earned his musicology degree from the University of Toronto, and in addition to his solo recordings and work with vocalists, he performs as pianist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and with Eduard and Pauline Minevich as the trio Contrasts.