Venezuelan conductor Leonardo Pineda is distinguished for his exceptional orchestral training, dynamic communication, and refined conducting technique. Praised by composer Miguel Del Aguila as “an incredible conductor with rhythmic clarity and musical structure that is very hard to find,” Mr. Pineda won the prestigious Distinction Prize in the Carlos Prieto Conducting Fellowship with Oacademy in 2022, an achievement that led to an assistant conductor invitation in Mexico. The Oacademy team commended him as “a deep thinker and musician-leader needed for the future.” This 2024–25 season, he was appointed principal conductor and artistic curator for Orchestra San Antonio and interim assistant conductor for The Orchestra Now (TŌN) and the Bard Conservatory Orchestra.
Mr. Pineda’s career launched with an impressive debut when he stepped in to replace José Gomez for Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night and Richter’s The Four Seasons with Francisco Fullana at the HEB Center, a performance that earned him the role of resident conductor at the Classical Music Institute (CMI). At CMI, he has focused on expanding the orchestra’s reach and leading community outreach programs to make music more accessible. Since his debut conducting The Nutcracker with Ballet San Antonio in 2022, he has returned annually to lead this holiday classic, becoming a core part of the production. He served as cover conductor for OPERA San Antonio during the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons, contributing to major productions such as Pagliacci, Romeo and Juliet, Hansel and Gretel, and The Pirates of Penzance.
Mr. Pineda studied under Harold Farberman and James Bagwell at Bard College, gaining experience with both the Bard Conservatory Orchestra and TŌN. He has also worked with notable conductors such as Leon Botstein, Carlos Prieto, Gemma New, and José Luis Gomez, and participated in the 2020 European International Competition in Bulgaria. As a violinist, he has performed under conductors like Fabio Luisi, Valery Gergiev, Marin Alsop, and Leonard Slatkin.
Committed to education, Mr. Pineda teaches at TŌN and directs TŌNteaches, a teaching artist platform focused on advancing music education and community engagement.
Leonardo Pineda will conduct The Orchestra Now on December 15, 2024.
Bio: Nov 2024