Leonard Isaacs was born 1909 in Manchester, England, UK. He studied at The Royal College of Music in London and with Alfred Cortot in Paris. He worked with the English Light Opera Orchestra before joining the BBC in 1936. He was in charge of musical programs for the BBC from 1957 until 1963, when he became founding director of the University of Manitoba's School of Music in Canada. He retired in 1973 and remained in Winnipeg until his death in 1997.