Slatkin, Leonard

Slatkin, Leonard (slăt`kĭn), 1944–, American conductor, b. Los Angeles. Raised in a musical family, he studied violin, viola, piano, and composition. He was conductor of the New Orleans Philarmonic (1977–79) and then of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (1979–96). Music director of the National Symphony (since 1996), he also is the chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (since 2000). He has been guest conductor with many U.S. and European orchestras. Slatkin is known for his interpretations of 20th-century American music as well as of the standard classical repertory. Since 2000 he has been the director of the National Conducting Institute, a school that trains young music directors.

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Slatkin, Leonard (1944–  ) conductor; born in Los Angeles. Son of the Hollywood conductor Felix Slatkin, he became an assistant at the St. Louis Symphony in 1968 and music director there in 1979; he became known for his performances of the milder moderns.