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

Slatkin Awarded Prix Charbonnier
By leonard slatkin
October 22, 2020

On Saturday, October 24, the Federation of Alliances Françaises will present Slatkin with its most prestigious award, the Prix Charbonnier. The ceremony is among the capstone events of the Federation’s 2020 Annual Convention, this year held online for constituents of the more than 100 Alliance Française chapters in the U.S., Canada, and the English-speaking Caribbean.

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leonard slatkin
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

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Upcoming Events

Thu 29

Orchestre National de Lyon (Canceled)

Thursday, October 29 @ 8:00 pm

Sat 31

Orchestre National de Lyon (Canceled)

Saturday, October 31 @ 6:00 pm

Nov 05

Orquesta Filharmónica de Gran Canaria (Canceled)

Thursday, November 5 @ 8:00 pm

Nov 06

Orquesta Filharmónica de Gran Canaria (Canceled)

Friday, November 6 @ 8:00 pm

Nov 27

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (Canceled)

Friday, November 27 @ 8:00 pm

Latest from the Journal

OCTOBER 2020: Recovery Edition, Part 25

By leonard slatkin

During the more than half a year of pandemic shutdowns, I have spent a lot of time dwelling on what others should or should not be doing. Whether addressing matters concerning performers, administrators, or audiences, my observations and suggestions have come from the standpoint of an outsider looking in. Other than a decision not to make the nine-hour drive to Detroit to lead rehearsals and a concert, I have mostly been shielded from heeding my own advice.

Ever since it became clear that musical life was being turned inside out, I realized that a major verdict might need to be rendered as October arrived. When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, I, like so many others, did not believe that it would affect me. Exercising every precaution, I believed that together, we could beat the virus into submission. It did not take very long to realize that this was not going to be the case.

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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