Leonard Slatkin

Monthly comments from Leonard Slatkin

JUNE, 2007
Two years have past since we launched this site providing immediate access to an array of information pertaining to my concerts, recordings and activities, yet it does not seem complete without your first finding a greeting or note of welcome from me. So, here's my first try at it. [ more ]

JULY, 2007
The month of June has been quite exciting for me. First, we wrapped up the subscription season of the NSO with the premiere of a harp concerto. The soloist was the orchestra's principal harpist, Dotian Levalier, who played with great feeling and panache. The piece is by Mark Adamo, who is primarily known as an opera composer. The lyrical elements would certainly bear out his reputation in this field, but his use of the orchestra was outstanding, and I believe many harpists will want to take up the work. [ more ]

AUGUST, 2007
Greetings from Aspen, Colorado! It is lovely here, as usual, but with a bit more rain that expected.
July turned out to be a very exciting month. [ more ]

SEPTEMBER, 2007
The summer season is winding down and orchestras all over the world are gearing up for a busy fall. [ more ]

MID-SEPTEMBER, 2007
Originally, I had only planned to write once a month, summarizing activities that had occurred previously. But the first few weeks of September have had a couple of nice surprises that I felt were worth sharing early. [ more ]

OCTOBER, 2007
On changes in life: By now, most of you will have learned of my recent appointment as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony. Between the positions that I am completing and the ones that are coming up, it is even confusing to me. So let's summarize. [ more ]

NOVEMBER, 2007
Well, October was certainly a busy month. In Washington, at the NSO, we began the subscription season. Beethoven 9 was up first. It is amazing how my thoughts of this work have changed over the years. [ more ]

DECEMBER, 2007
Another whirlwind month has come to a close. There are times when I am not sure that it is possible to keep up with the calendar. And traveling these days is certainly not one of life’s greatest pleasures. [ more ]

JANUARY, 2008
Happy New Year! 2007 has ended on a mostly upbeat note. In some years, December is a more quiet time for symphonic conductors. What with Holiday Pops, Messiahs, and other concerts devoted to this time of year, there is not much place for a lot of the traditional or adventurous symphonic fare. [ more ]

FEBRUARY, 2008
The New Year has gotten off to a quick start, hampered by a severe cold.
Beethoven 9's in Milan were great fun, a term one does not usually associate with this piece. But it seemed appropriate for the audience, which was looking for this high level of entertainment to bring in the festivities. [ more ]

MARCH, 2008
On the road again. The shortest month of the year can seem the longest when travel is involved. [ more ]

APRIL, 2008
Life on the road is tough. A different orchestra each week, travel difficulties, strange accommodations. But when it goes well, all the travails get put behind. [ more ]

MID-APRIL, 2008
Normally, I try to keep this column down to once a month. But every so often, something happens which demands a "special edition." For the past eight days, I have been in Detroit, the first time I have conducted there since being appointed music director. This was originally to have been a guest date, but now it was much, much more. [ more ]

MAY, 2008
Home at last!
After almost 12 weeks on the road, I have finally landed back in Washington. This will be a three-week stint with the NSO, which right now feels more like three months. No more hotel rooms and horrid Internet connections. And the projects that are looming here are interesting. [ more ]

JUNE, 2008
It seems as if this season will go on for quite some time. Between the travel and not really getting any vacation, some of the weeks can get tiring. But almost all of them are exhilarating. [ more ]

JULY, 2008
And so it ends.
June saw my final concerts as music director of the National Symphony. These occupied most of the month and, as you can imagine, was a highly charged three weeks. But there was almost as much packed into the first week as well. [ more ]

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Mr. Slatkin is represented by
Columbia Artists Management, Inc. (North America)
Askonas Holt, Ltd. (Europe)

   Notes:
    June, 2007
    July, 2007
    August, 2007
    September, 2007
    mid-September, 2007
    October, 2007
    November, 2007
    December, 2007
    January, 2008
    February, 2008
    March, 2008
    April, 2008
    mid-April, 2008
    May, 2008
    June, 2008
    July, 2008