Australian conductor Leonard Weiss CF is rapidly building a dynamic career, having been selected as a Conducting Fellow for the 2025 Tanglewood Music Center. Under the mentorship of Andris Nelsons, he will conduct approximately a dozen concerts with the TMC Orchestra this summer, culminating in a prestigious 2026 mainstage debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, shared with Nelsons as part of their subscription series.
As the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's Cybec Assistant Conductor, Leonard recently made his debut at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and continues to lead a variety of exciting programs this season, including national radio broadcasts and his Melbourne Recital Centre debut. Some of his upcoming engagements include his first appearance with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and return appearances in New Zealand. As a champion of living composers, Leonard has treasured the opportunity to premiere new music in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA, fuelled by a passion for both classical and contemporary music.
Prior to his MSO appointment, Leonard was the 2022 New Zealand Assistant Conductor in Residence, working particularly closely with the Auckland Philharmonia. Leonard studied with Marin Alsop at Peabody Conservatory, where he was recognised as their “rising star” and received the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s BSO-Peabody Fellowship. Leonard has participated in masterclasses with Riccardo Muti, Gianandrea Noseda, the Salzburg Festival, and the Australian Conducting Academy.
Among his recent accolades, Leonard has received the Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank New Churchill Fellowship, an Australia Council Career Development Grant, and an Ars Musica Australis Arts Fellowship. Leonard was a finalist for 2016 Young Australian of the Year, and was named 2016 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for Youth Arts and Multimedia.
Leonard Weiss' position is generously supported by the Cybec Foundation.
