Venezuelan conductor Leonardo Pineda embodies a fusion of orchestral training, exceptional communication skills, and a refined conducting technique. He was described by composer Miguel Del Aguila as “An incredible conductor with a rhythmic clarity and musical structure that is very hard to find”. After receiving the distinction of 1st prize in 2022 for the Carlos Prieto Conducting Fellowship, he was described by Oacademy as "someone who has built an exceptional (and necessary) foundation for an ideal Music Director of the future”.
Leonardo's conducting trajectory at the Classical Music Institute (CMI) is marked by two defining moments of impromptu leadership. During the 2021/2022 season, as an assistant conductor, he replaced José Luis Gomez for a last-minute call to conduct a challenging program at the H-E-B Performance Hall–Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas. This earned him an immediate appointment as The Orchestra San Antonio’s Resident Conductor under the CMI umbrella. The following season, Leonardo's versatility shone as he made his ballet conducting debut for Ballet San Antonio’s production of "The Nutcracker,'' leading to cover conducting duties for the 2023/24 and 2024-25 seasons for CMI’s collaborations with Ballet San Antonio (BSA), OPERA San Antonio (OSA), and all resident companies of the Tobin Center. He has played a key role in taking the CMI Orchestra, now The Orchestra San Antonio, to new heights while helping to expand the orchestra's size and recruit a diverse group of musicians. Leonardo takes every opportunity to shape CMI’s outreach efforts around storytelling, creating a variety of entry points for the different segments of the community, fostering educational, civic, and community engagement activities.
Leonardo's conducting path was guided by Harold Farberman and James Bagwell at Bard College, offering him podium time with both the Bard Conservatory Orchestra and The Orchestra Now. He has also had the privilege of working closely with José Luis Gomez, Leon Botstein, and Gemma New, further honing his craft. He was one of the selected participants worldwide to attend the European International Competition in Bulgaria in 2020. As a violinist, Leonardo has played under renowned conductors such as Fabio Luisi, Gustavo Dudamel, Marin Alsop, Neeme Järvi, Valery Gergiev, Carlos Prieto, Leonard Slatkin, Domingo Hindoyan, and Hans Graf.
Leonardo teaches at Bard College’s renowned orchestral training program, The Orchestra Now, where he also leads an educational platform called TŌNteaches that has now developed an educational partnership with the Classical Music Institute.
