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LEONARD SLATKIN

CONDUCTOR | COMPOSER | AUTHOR

LEONARD SLATKIN

CONDUCTOR | COMPOSER | AUTHOR

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Leonard Slatkin to Receive Lincoln Medal as a Leading Advocate for the Nation’s Repertoire
By leonard slatkin
March 31, 2026

On May 31, Ford’s Theatre Society will present the Lincoln Medal to two distinguished honorees: Leonard Slatkin and Gary Sinise. The award recognizes individuals whose body of work and character reflect the enduring legacy of President Lincoln.

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leonard slatkin
Warner Classics Releases “Pictures at an Exhibition: The Paintings of Bob Peak” Album
By leonard slatkin
March 6, 2026

Born at the intersection of music, visual arts, and the world of cinema, this vibrant new album by producer Robert Townson brings together ten internationally renowned composers in world-premiere compositions.

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leonard slatkin

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Latest from the Journal

AUGUST 2026

By leonard slatkin

Somehow, the country has managed to make it through 250 years. I am old enough to remember the bicentennial and all the celebrations that took place. The public was disillusioned with the federal government in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal. However, the arts were booming, and there was an optimistic feeling in the air. The atmosphere on July 4, 1976 was mostly lovely, with temperatures across the country quite pleasant. Winds were light, and there was a bit of rain on the East Coast.

What a difference 50 years makes! As it turned out, this July offered its own reminder that history, weather, music, and mishaps still know how to arrive together.

Leonard Slatkin

Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is Music Director of the Nashville Symphony, Conductor Laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria. He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting and is active as a composer, author, and educator.

A six-time Grammy winner and recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Slatkin also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has been awarded the Lincoln Medal from Ford’s Theatre Society, the Prix Charbonnier from the Federation of Alliances Françaises, Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, and the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton. His debut book, Conducting Business (2012), for which he received the ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award, was followed by Leading Tones (2017) and Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21^st Century (2021). His latest books are Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Twentieth Century (spring 2024) and Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Nineteenth Century (fall 2024). A second volume of twentieth-century score studies will be published by Bloomsbury in February 2027 as part of this ongoing series.

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