Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American
conductor, author and composer.
Early life and education
Slatkin was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
musical family that came from areas of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
now in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
. His father,
Felix Slatkin, was the violinist, conductor and founder of the
Hollywood String Quartet, and his mother,
Eleanor Aller
Eleanor Aller (Slatkin) (May 20, 1917 – October 12, 1995) was an American cellist and founding member, with her husband, Felix Slatkin, of the Hollywood String Quartet.
Life and career
Born in New York City, she was the daughter of cellist Greg ...
, was the cellist with the quartet. His brother, Frederick, now a cellist, traced the family's original name as Zlotkin, and adopted that form of the family surname for himself professionally. Frederick Zlotkin has spoken of the family lineage as follows:
:: "The Zlotkin/Slatkin lineage is Russian-Jewish. The first Zlotkin arrival to the US was Felix's father, grandpa Chaim Peretz Zlotkin, who came to settle with relatives in St. Louis in 1904; he (or the clerk at
Ellis Island
Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...
) changed the name. He probably came from the town of Mogilev
ow_Mohyliv-Podilskyi.html" ;"title="Mohyliv-Podilskyi.html" ;"title="ow Mohyliv-Podilskyi">ow Mohyliv-Podilskyi">Mohyliv-Podilskyi.html" ;"title="ow Mohyliv-Podilskyi">ow Mohyliv-Podilskyi from a shtetl (the Russians forced most Jews to live in villages outside of the major cities)...The Altschuler [Aller] side of the family is really rife with musicians. [My grandfather] Grisha's uncle, Modest Altschuler, was a cellist (making me 4th generation) and he had quite a career. Among other things, he did the St. Petersburg premiere of
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Tchaikovsky's ''
Souvenir de Florence
The String Sextet in D minor "''Souvenir de Florence''", Op. 70, is a string sextet scored for 2 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos composed in the summer of 1890 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky dedicated the work to the St. Petersburg Cham ...
'' Sextet. When he came to America he formed the Russian Symphony Orchestra (early 1900s)."
Slatkin studied at
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
and
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campu ...
before attending the
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely ...
, where he studied conducting under
Jean Morel. He also studied with
Walter Susskind at the
Aspen Music Festival and School.
Career
Slatkin's conducting debut was in 1966 when he became artistic director and conductor of the award-winning
New York Youth Symphony
The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS), founded in 1963, is a tuition-free music organization for the youth in New York City, widely reputed to be one of the best of its kind in the nation and world. Its programs include its flagship Orchestra, Cha ...
, and in 1968
Walter Susskind named him the assistant conductor of the
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. While in St. Louis, Slatkin hosted for three years a weekly
KDNA
KDNA (91.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Variety format including music ( norteña, accordion, banda, and mariachi), children's programming, local and international news and a unique show each weekday morning highlighting employme ...
radio station program called The Slatkin Project.
He left St. Louis in 1977 to become music director of the
New Orleans Symphony
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is an American orchestra based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only full-time, professional orchestra in the Gulf South. The orchestra performs at the Orpheum Theater.
The Louisiana Philharmonic ...
.
He led a series of
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
festivals with the
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San F ...
during the late 1970s and early 1980s. These annual concerts, held during June, included the orchestra's final concert in San Francisco's
War Memorial Opera House in 1980, which featured a performance of Beethoven's
ninth symphony.
Slatkin returned to Saint Louis in 1979 as music director of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. The national profile of the orchestra increased notably under his tenure, and the SLSO became one of the most acclaimed orchestras in the country. The ensemble toured and recorded frequently and impressed critics and audiences alike with its fine musicianship and creative musical direction. In 1985, he recorded the first
digital stereo version of
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Tchaikovsky's ''
The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaik ...
'' with the SLSO. (This was also the first complete ''Nutcracker'' issued on
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in O ...
.) Upon the conclusion of his tenure in 1996, Slatkin became the SLSO's conductor laureate. His recorded work with that orchestra was represented on
RCA Victor Red Seal,
EMI,
Vox Records
Vox Records is a budget classical record label. The name is Latin for "voice."
Some Vox releases such as Peter Frankl's Debussy Piano Works and György Sándor's Complete Prokofiev Sonatas were reissued in premium vinyl boxsets by the audi ...
, and
Telarc. Slatkin became a devoted fan of the
St. Louis Cardinals baseball team during his tenure in St Louis and has retained his interest in the Cardinals since his departure from St Louis.
Slatkin was the director of the
Blossom Festival
The Blossom Festival is a summer music festival of orchestral music located at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The festival was originally created to provide a summer concert vehicle for the Cleveland Orchestra and the Blossom Mu ...
of the
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...
from 1990 to 1999. Slatkin was music director of the
National Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National M ...
in
Washington, D.C. from 1996 to 2008.
Noted for putting the "national" back in National Symphony with programs highlighting twentieth-century American works, Slatkin received both praise for improving the overall quality of the orchestra and criticism for under-rehearsal of the NSO.
Slatkin was a guest conductor for the
American Russian Young Artists Orchestra.
In 2000, Slatkin became the chief conductor of the
BBC Symphony Orchestra. In 2001, he was only the second non-British person to conduct the
Last Night of the Proms (the first had been an Australian, Sir
Charles Mackerras). This performance occurred in the wake of the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
, and included changes to the traditional second half of the concert, most notably a performance of the Barber Adagio for Strings in honor of the victims.
He held this post until September 11, 2004, the 110th Last Night. There were reports of tension between Slatkin and the orchestra, whose secure finances were said to have "fostered a culture of superiority and recalcitrance," as well as negative concert reviews, which contributed to his short tenure with the BBCSO.
Previously in the UK, Slatkin was principal guest conductor of the
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, ...
from 1997 to 2000 and made a series of digital recordings for RCA with them, including the symphonies of
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...
. In 2004, the
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...
named him principal guest conductor at the
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018.
The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
for a two-year period; he was subsequently given a third year in the position, with his tenure ending in September 2007. In 2005, he became the principal guest conductor of the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
, London.
In 2006, Slatkin was named the music advisor to the
Nashville Symphony Orchestra. In that capacity, he conducted the inaugural concert of the
Schermerhorn Symphony Center on September 9, 2006. In June 2007, Slatkin was announced as the next Principal Guest Conductor of the
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The ''Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra'' (''PSO'') is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.
History
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an Ameri ...
,
and he assumed this post in 2008. On October 27, 2006, the
Jacobs School of Music announced the appointment of Slatkin to the faculty at
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
as a part-time teacher of conducting and composition.
On October 7, 2007, Slatkin announced he had reached agreement on a three-year contract, followed by a two-year option, to become the new music director of the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music ...
, beginning with the 2008–2009 subscription season. Slatkin stated that he would relocate to the Detroit area.
His contract in Detroit called for 5 weeks of subscription concerts in the 2008–2009 season, and 13 weeks in the 2009–2010 season.
Slatkin conducted his first concert as music director in Detroit in December 2008.
In February 2010, the orchestra announced the extension of Slatkin's contract as music director through the 2012–2013 season. This also included an announcement that Slatkin would take a salary reduction to help relieve the financial difficulties of the orchestra.
In November 2011, the orchestra announced the extension of Slatkin's Detroit contract through the 2015–2016 season.
In December 2014, the DSO announced the extension of his contract through August 2017, when it then becomes year-to-year.
Slatkin stated that the projected year-to-year part of the contract did not mean that he planned to leave, only that at his age "it makes more sense to stay flexible."
[ He also said, "We're in the fun part right now."][ In December 2015, the DSO announced an extension of Slatkin's contract as music director through the 2017–2018 season, after which time he is scheduled to relinquish the music directorship of the orchestra and to become its first-ever music director laureate, holding the latter post at least through the 2019–2020 season. In the music director laureate role, he will program and conduct four weeks a season and advise on artistic and personnel matters. Slatkin is credited with having rebuilt the DSO after a six-month strike and elevating it as a pillar of civic pride through innovative live webcasts and engaging community programming.
Slatkin's compositions include ''The Raven'' (1971) for narrator and orchestra after ]Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...
, and ''Kinah'' (2015), an elegy dedicated to the memory of his parents, which received its world premiere with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in December 2015. He published his debut book, ''Conducting Business: Unveiling the Mystery Behind the Maestro,'' in 2012. In addition to his earlier Saint Louis recordings for RCA and EMI, Slatkin has conducted several recordings for the Naxos label, including the first commercial recording of William Bolcom's ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience,'' which received Grammy awards for Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance.
On November 1, 2009, Slatkin suffered a heart attack while conducting in the Netherlands. In May 2010, the Orchestre National de Lyon announced the appointment of Slatkin as its music director, effective with the 2011–2012 season. With the ONL, he has recorded works by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, and Berlioz on the Naxos label. In April 2016, the ONL announced that Slatkin is to stand down as music director after the 2016–2017 season, and subsequently to take the title of ''Directeur musical honoraire'' of the ONL.
On May 4, 2019, a new radio program hosted by Slatkin, ''The Slatkin Shuffle'', was announced. On April 1, 2020, it was opened up to national distribution via Public Radio Exchange.
Honors
*In 1984, Leonard Slatkin won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Orchestral Recording with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5.
*In 1986, he received the Decoration of Honor in Silver from the Austrian ambassador to the United States for outstanding contributions to cultural relations.
*In 1990, Leonard Slatkin was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
*In 1991, his recording of the Barber Piano Concerto with soloist John Browning and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist with Orchestra.
*In 1996, his recording with the National Symphony Orchestra of John Corigliano's ''Of Rage and Remembrance''/Symphony No. 1 won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Album.
*In 1997, he was awarded Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia's Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award The Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award is one of the highest honors awarded to members of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity for a lifelong achievement in uplifting the world through art and music. Its recipients include musical legends such as ...
at its national convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had been initiated as a national honorary member of the Fraternity in 1987.
*In 2003, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...
.
*In 2004, he earned the rank of Chevalier in the French National Order of the Legion of Honor.
*In 2005, the League of American Orchestras presented him with the Gold Baton Award.
*In 2005, he received Grammy awards for Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance for William Bolcom's ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience.''
*In 2007, his recording of Joan Tower's ''Made in America'' with the Nashville Symphony won Grammy awards in the Best Classical Album and Best Orchestral Performance categories.
* In 2013, Slatkin was the recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for his book, ''Conducting Business.''
Personal life
Slatkin has been married four times. His first three marriages, to Beth Gootee, to Jerilyn Cohen, and to soprano Linda Hohenfeld, ended in divorce. He has a son, Daniel Slatkin, from his marriage to Hohenfeld. Slatkin married his fourth wife, the composer Cindy McTee
Cindy McTee (born February 20, 1953) is an American composer and educator.
Early life and education
McTee was born in Tacoma, Washington. She studied at Pacific Lutheran University, the Academy of Music in Kraków, Yale University, and the Univers ...
, on November 20, 2011. They moved to the St. Louis suburb of Clayton, Missouri
Clayton is a city in and the seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. It borders the independent city of St. Louis. The population was 17,355 at the 2020 census. Organized in 1877, the city was named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the ...
, in 2018.
References
External links
Leonard Slatkin official website
*
Leonard Slatkin
at Columbia Artists Management
Columbia Artists Management (CAMI) was an international talent management agency. On August 29, 2020, the agency announced plans to shut down amid a disturbance in business caused by the " prolonged pandemic environment".
History
Based in New Yor ...
Leonard Slatkin
at the St. Louis Walk of Fame
Leonard Slatkin discography
at Naxos Records
Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...
Leonard Slatkin interviews
September 15, 1986 & July 27, 1988
*
* ttps://exchange.prx.org/series/39042-slatkin-shuffle The Slatkin Shuffle on PRX
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slatkin, Leonard
1944 births
20th-century American conductors (music)
21st-century American conductors (music)
American male conductors (music)
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
Aspen Music Festival and School alumni
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Grammy Award winners
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music
Jacobs School of Music faculty
Jewish American classical musicians
Juilliard School alumni
Living people
Musicians from Los Angeles
Music of St. Louis
United States National Medal of Arts recipients