New NZ Assistant Conductor-in-residence Appointed For National Orchestra Network

Changes to New Zealand’s Covid-related border restrictions will mean Sydney based conductor Leonard Weiss can now take up the prestigious role as New Zealand’s Assistant Conductor-in-Residence after a two-month delay.

The position is funded by Creative New Zealand and managed by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO), but in fact represents a collaboration between the APO, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Dunedin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO).

“This national Assistant Conductor-in-Residence Programme was created as a long-term strategy to build greater depth amongst emerging conductors within Australasia.” says APO Chief Executive Barbara Glaser.

“While these gifted young conductors get to benefit from being immersed in a professional orchestral environment close to home, our audiences can look forward to seeing more locally based talent on the conductor’s podium, thriving and developing alongside our orchestras.”

Maestro Weiss takes over from the inaugural recipient, Vincent Hardaker.

“This role offers me a chance to be a part of the season ‘life-cycle’ of each of these fantastic ensembles” explains Weiss, who has recently returned from a year of advanced study with Maestro Marin Alsop as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s 2020-21 BSO-Peabody Fellow.

“It will be an incredibly busy time but I’m thrilled to have a developmental opportunity as significant as this, at this stage in my career and to be able to contribute to the orchestras’ musical lives in such a meaningful way.”

The auditions for this position took place across the later months of 2021. The traditional process would normally have seen shortlisted applicants auditioning live with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, to showcase their skills from the podium in person.

This ‘live’ aspect of the audition experience was ultimately impacted by COVID but the subsequent online interview and audition process was no less intense.

“My last interview was on Zoom and lasted for well over an hour” recalls Weiss.

“I faced a huge panel of musicians and members of the management teams from all the orchestras across New Zealand. I was particularly conscious of Maestro Bellincampi leading much of the questioning. He was tuning in from his home base in Europe and I think it must have been about 3 or 4 in the morning for him!

It was an amazing process, and I was struck by how incredibly warm and welcoming everyone was. I can’t wait to meet everyone in person.”

Over the course of his tenure Weiss will participate in a structured development and performance programme led by the APO’s Music Director Giordano Bellincampi and supported by the music directors and guest conductors from the other New Zealand orchestras.

Weiss will be engaged to conduct rehearsals and concerts across all the orchestras’ 2022 seasons and will also play a part in behind the scenes planning and strategy sessions with the music directors and artistic planning teams.

In addition to his own ongoing coaching and development, Weiss will also be in a position to share his own expertise by engaging with young aspiring conductors, composers and ensembles studying at school and at university.

“I have an undergraduate degree in composition from ANU in Canberra and also a masters in teaching, so I’m especially excited by the chance to work with young Kiwi composers and lead the various workshops scheduled around the country while I am in New Zealand. It’s a special honour to be part of the creative process that brings new works to life in front of an audience for the first time.

Another personal highlight for me will be the chance to shadow Maestro Bellincampi and the APO during their performances of Verdi’s Requiem and their Opera in Concert presentation of Il Trovatore. To watch these works come together under a conductor of this calibre will be a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

Maestro Weiss’ arrival also coincides with New Zealand’s move to ‘Orange Light’ status in the country’s ‘Traffic Light’ Covid protection framework. For the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra this means the highly anticipated performance, featuring 14-year old Australian Violin phenomenon Christian Li in his NZ debut, can proceed without limitation to audience numbers, on Thursday 21 April at 7.30pm in the Auckland Town Hall.

This performance will be conducted by the inaugural NZ Assistant Conductor-in-Residence Vincent Hardaker with assistance from Maestro Weiss.

ARTIST BIO – Leonard Weiss (- Weiss is pronounced with ‘soft’ w like water and rhymes with ‘Niece’)

Leonard Weiss is an Australian conductor and educator. He was the inaugural recipient of the 2021 NSW Orchestral Conducting Fellowship which saw him work regularly with the Sydney Youth Orchestras. In the last year he has worked alongside the Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras and was Assistant Conductor for the Australian National Opera’s La Clemenza di Tito.

In 2022 Leonard will conduct a feature concert with The Sydney Youth Orchestra and Claire Edwardes, Così fan Tutte with National Opera, work as Musical Director for The CoOperative, and will participate by invitation in the 2022 Australian Conducting Academy.

Leonard was the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s 2020-21 BSO-Peabody Fellow and studied conducting with Marin Alsop at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where made his opera debut conducting Kaija Saariaho’s Émilie.

Leonard is passionate about showcasing contemporary works, which was a defining aspect of his tenure as Music Director of the National Capital Orchestra. As former Conductor of the Canberra Youth Orchestra, he featured soloists including James Morrison, MSO concertmaster Dale Barltrop and pop sensation Lucy Sugerman. Leonard is Artistic Director of the Canberra Sinfonia, a semi-professional ensemble which he co-founded in 2018, and frequently works with a range of orchestras in Sydney and Canberra.

As an educator Leonard taught at the ANU Open School of Music and at Canberra Grammar School. His accolades include the 2020 Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank New Churchill Fellowship and an Ars Musica Australis Arts Fellowship. He was named the 2016 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for Youth Arts and Multimedia and an ACT Finalist for 2016 Young Australian of the Year.

www.LeonardWeiss.com

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