Principal Conductor and Artistic Curator | The Orchestra San Antonio
Assistant Conductor | The Orchestra Now and Bard Conservatory Orchestra
Venezuelan conductor Leonardo Pineda blends exceptional orchestral training, communication skills, and refined conducting technique. Acclaimed composer Miguel Del Aguila described him as “an incredible conductor with rhythmic clarity and musical structure that is very hard to find.” In 2022, Leonardo was awarded the Distinction Prize at the Carlos Prieto Conducting Fellowship with OAcademy, which led to an invitation to serve as Assistant Conductor in Mexico. The OAcademy team praised him as “a deep thinker and musician-leader needed for the future.” Following his fellowship, Leonardo joined OAcademy as an Associate Faculty member, where he delivered large-scale lectures and hosted Q&A sessions with prominent musicians.
His professional debut came when he stepped in for José Luis Gomez, conducting a spellbinding performance of Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night. This achievement earned him the position of Resident Conductor at the Classical Music Institute (CMI), where he expanded the orchestra’s reach and prioritized community engagement through innovative collaborations that highlight music’s essential role in society. In 2022, Leonardo made his ballet debut, conducting The Nutcracker with Ballet San Antonio. He also served as Cover Conductor for OPERA San Antonio during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, working on productions such as Pagliacci, Romeo and Juliet, Hansel and Gretel, and The Pirates of Penzance.
Beginning in the 2024/25 season, Leonardo will take on multiple leadership roles, including Principal Conductor and Artistic Curator for Orchestra San Antonio, Interim Assistant Conductor for The Orchestra Now and the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, and Staff Conductor and Educational Team Member for the All City Youth Orchestra in NYC. His debut appearances this season include performances with Ensemble Connect at Carnegie Hall, The Orchestra San Antonio at the H-E-B Hall, The Orchestra Now at the Fisher Center at Bard College, and the All City Orchestra at the Julian Richmond Educational Complex in NYC.
Leonardo refined his craft under Harold Farberman and James Bagwell at Bard College, gaining extensive experience with both the Bard Conservatory Orchestra and The Orchestra Now. He has collaborated closely with esteemed conductors such as Leon Botstein, Carlos Prieto, and José Luis Gomez and participated in the 2020 European International Competition in Bulgaria. As a violinist, he has performed under the batons of Fabio Luisi, Valery Gergiev, Marin Alsop, and Leonard Slatkin. Leonardo is a faculty member at The Orchestra Now at Bard College and leads TŌNteaches, a teaching artist platform dedicated to fostering educational engagement through music.