LEONARD SLATKIN

CONDUCTOR | COMPOSER | AUTHOR

There is no "perfect" in music. If I were ever to come off the
stage feeling that the performance could not have been
better, it would then be time to quit.

LEONARD SLATKIN

CONDUCTOR | COMPOSER | AUTHOR

There is no “perfect” in music. If I were ever to come off the stage feeling that the performance could not have been better, it would then be time to quit.

LATEST NEWS

New Recording Release: Kastalsky’s Requiem
By leonard slatkin
August 28, 2020

The world-premiere recording of Alexander Kastalsky’s Requiem for Fallen Brothers was released by Naxos Records in its complete and revised, 17-movement version for orchestra, choir, and soloists. The album, which was recorded live in Washington National Cathedral, features the combined forces of multiple GRAMMY®-winning ensembles conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

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leonard slatkin
Slatkin Writes “Road to Recovery” Series
By leonard slatkin
July 27, 2020

While working on his third book, Leonard Slatkin has written a number of essays about the road to recovery for the orchestra industry. In this ongoing series, he has put forth such suggestions as programming concerts for smaller forces, opening up recording archives to keep audiences engaged, and taking advantage of local talent, among other ideas.

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leonard slatkin

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Upcoming Events

Oct 01

Spokane Symphony Orchestra (Canceled)

Saturday, October 10 @ 8:00 pm

Oct 11

Spokane Symphony Orchestra (Canceled)

Sunday, October 11 @ 3:00 pm

Oct 29

Orchestre National de Lyon

Saturday, October 31 @ 6:00 pm

Latest from the Journal

SEPTEMBER 2020: Recovery Edition, Part 20

By leonard slatkin

On March 11, 2020, I stepped off the podium at Orchestra Hall in Detroit. The strains of “Oh, Fortuna,” as interpreted by Carl Orff in his Carmina Burana, were the last notes I would lead for … no one knew how long at the time. Earlier that evening, the governor of Michigan had urged communities to avoid gatherings of 100 or more people.

For six months, I wrote, watched television, tried to cook in a healthy manner, and avoided pretty much any contact with anybody. Yes, there were the obligatory trips for medical check-ups, but for the most part, I got to know every nook and cranny of my abode. As several orchestras attempted to put on highly scaled-back seasons and others shut down until January and beyond, I was beginning to think that my next trip to the stage might not ever take place.

Leonard Slatkin

Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL), and Conductor Laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting throughout the world and is active as a composer, author, and educator.

Slatkin has received six Grammy awards and 34 nominations. A recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, he also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has received Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton Award, and the 2013 ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for his debut book, Conducting Business. His second book, Leading Tones: Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry, was published by Amadeus Press in 2017. He is working on a third volume, Musical Chairs: The Changing Landscape of Classical Music in the Twenty-first Century.

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