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Leonard Weiss

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Leonard Weiss is an Australian conductor and educator. He is the 2024 Cybec Assistant Conductor with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra[1] and Artistic Director of the Canberra Sinfonia. He is known as a champion of new Australian music, including conducting the 2022 world premiere of Dulcie Holland's Piano Concertino with pianist Ronan Apcar,[2] and as well as for his regular work as an operatic conductor.[3]

Education

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Weiss graduated from the Australian National University in 2014, citing the influence of teachers Alice Giles and organist, Calvin Bowman.[4] He worked part time as carillonist at the National Carillon.[5] In 2019, Weiss commenced studies with Marin Alsop at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore,[6][7] where he made his opera debut conducting Kaija Saariaho's Emilie.[8][9] He was also awarded as the Conservatory's Rising Star for 2020, and learned from Gianandrea Noseda in masterclasses with the National Symphony Orchestra.[10][11]

Career

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Prior to studying overseas, Weiss was Music Director of the National Capital Orchestra and conductor of the Canberra Youth Orchestra.[12] He pioneered the CYO50 celebrations including concerts with The Idea of North and James Morrison, as well as performances with Lucy Sugerman and regular collaborations with the Canberra Choral Society.[13] As conductor of the ANU Choral Society (SCUNA) he conducted the 2016 Intervarsity Choral Festival.

Weiss was formerly the 2022 New Zealand Assistant Conductor in Residence, where he worked with all professional New Zealand orchestras and built a particularly strong relationship with the Auckland Philharmonia, where he returned for engagements in 2023.[14][15] Before that he held the position of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's 2020-21 BSO-Peabody Fellow.[16][17]

Weiss works with all major Australian Orchestras as part of the Australian Conducting Academy,[18] and also worked with the Sydney Youth Orchestras as the inaugural recipient of the NSW Orchestral (Early Career) Fellowship.[19] In August 2024, he conducted Katy Abott's work: Hidden Thoughts II: Return to Sender.[20]

Awards and honours

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A recipient of the 2020 Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank New Churchill Fellowship,[21] in 2023 Weiss studied at the Tanglewood Music Center, the National Orchestral Institute + Festival, and the Salzburg Festival. He also studied with Riccardo Muti at the Italian Opera Academy in Tokyo.[22][23] He received a Churchill Medallion on 21 March 2024 from the Governor-General of Australia.

For services to music in the National Capital, Weiss was awarded as the 2016 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for Youth Arts and Multimedia.[24] He was an ACT Finalist for 2016 Young Australian of the Year.[25][26]

References

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  1. ^ Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2023). "Leonard Weiss". Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  2. ^ "Apcar's Holland (Canberra Sinfonia) ★★★★½". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  3. ^ "Canberra's busiest baton on a global swing". Canberra CityNews. 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  4. ^ "Alumni: A musical melting pot". Australian National University. 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  5. ^ "Alumni Spotlight: Leonard Weiss". Australian National University. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  6. ^ "A Year with Marin Alsop". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  7. ^ Cerabona, Ron (2019-04-30). "Busy Canberra conductor will study with US maestro". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  8. ^ "Hitting the high notes in his international symphony | Australian National University". www.anu.edu.au. 2020-05-04. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  9. ^ Sydney Symphony Orchestra (2023). "Leonard Weiss". Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  10. ^ "Leonard's learning lots in Baltimore". Canberra CityNews. 2020-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  11. ^ admin (2021-07-01). "Leonard Weiss Wins Inaugural Sydney Youth Orchestras Conductor Fellowship". Sounds Like Sydney. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  12. ^ Magazine, B. M. A. (2019-07-17). "[Artist Profile] Leonard Weiss - A hero of Canberra and a champion of sound". BMA Mag. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  13. ^ Cerabona, Ron (2017-04-06). "Canberra Youth Orchestra celebrates 50 years". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  14. ^ "Leonard Weiss: podium experiences". Five Lines. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  15. ^ "Auckland Philharmonia: Celebrate Christmas 2023". RNZ. 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  16. ^ "'Maestro' Lenny packs his baton for NZ". Canberra CityNews. 2022-04-15. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  17. ^ Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2023). "Leonard Weiss". Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  18. ^ "Australian Conducting Academy announces 2023-2024 participants". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  19. ^ "Leonard Weiss wins inaugural NSW conductor's fellowship". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  20. ^ Heitmann-Ryce-LeMercier, Liam (2 August 2024). "Metropolis - Hidden Thoughts II". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  21. ^ "Leonard Weiss - Churchill Trust". www.churchilltrust.com.au. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  22. ^ "2023 Italian Opera Academy Tokyo | Chicago Symphony Orchestra". Experience the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  23. ^ "Tokyo". Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  24. ^ "ANU shines at ACT Young Canberra Citizen of the Year awards | ANU College of ARTS & SOCIAL SCIENCES". cass.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  25. ^ "New NZ Assistant Conductor-in-residence Appointed For National Orchestra Network | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  26. ^ "A chat with young conductor Leonard Weiss, CYO | CutCommon". 2017-04-03. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
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