Leonard Slatkin thought he was done leading orchestras.
After four decades guiding top ensembles—including Detroit, St. Louis, Lyon, and Washington, D.C.—the GRAMMY Award–winning conductor believed he had stepped away from the pressures of music directorship for good.
Then Nashville called.
At 81, Slatkin returns to the podium as Music Director of the Nashville Symphony. His duties begin with the 2026/27 season and continue through 2029. For Slatkin, this move isn’t about enhancing his résumé — it’s about finishing a story that began nearly two decades ago.
Finishing What He Started: “I was the one who conducted the concerts that opened Schermerhorn Symphony Center 20 years ago,” Slatkin says. “From that point, I really loved the orchestra, loved the hall, and I loved the city.”
His connection to Nashville runs deep. Slatkin first served as the Symphony’s Music Advisor from 2006 to 2009 during the opening of the iconic concert hall. When he returned to that advisory role in 2025 while the organization searched for a new music director, it quickly became clear the relationship was ready for its next chapter.
“This is the right time and place for me to be,” Slatkin says. “In a city that is developing by leaps and bounds, there is every reason to believe the Nashville Symphony and Schermerhorn Symphony Center can be at the heart of this renaissance.”
Growth Not Maintenance: Slatkin arrives at a historic moment for the orchestra. His first season will coincide with three major milestones: the Symphony’s 80th anniversary, the 20th anniversary of Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and the 250th anniversary of the United States.
For Slatkin, those celebrations are more than ceremonial. They represent an opportunity to expand what a modern symphony can be.
While orchestras have traditionally drawn a small slice of a city’s population — often around five or six percent — Slatkin believes Nashville’s unique musical culture offers the potential to reach far beyond that.
“I’m not a person who is about maintenance,” he says. “I’m about growth.”
That growth starts with embracing the city’s creative DNA. Slatkin plans to invite country artists to join the Symphony for its opening program in September, performing American folk songs arranged by composer Aaron Copland.
Growing Community Connection: The goal isn’t novelty — it’s connection.
“If people see artists they admire coming to the symphony not just to perform but to listen,” Slatkin says, “maybe they’ll give it a shot, too.”
It’s a natural fit for a conductor whose own musical upbringing blurred the boundaries between genres. Slatkin grew up in Hollywood surrounded by music. His father was the principal violinist at 20th Century Fox, his mother the first female cellist to hold a titled position at Warner Bros., and family friend Frank Sinatra was a frequent visitor to their home.
“I was on soundstages from the time I was old enough to walk onto one,” he says.
As a teenager, Slatkin played jazz piano in clubs before he was even legally old enough to be there. That eclectic background shapes his vision for Nashville’s orchestra today — one that embraces film music, storytelling concerts, multimedia elements, and collaborations across genres.
An upcoming program, which is inspired by “Alice in Wonderland,” will blend narration, singing, and theatrical visuals with orchestral music. Slatkin is even encouraging audiences to attend dressed as members’ favorite characters.
“Fun is the right word,” Slatkin says with a laugh.
Long-Term Goals: But alongside the creativity, Slatkin is equally focused on the Symphony’s long-term stability. Like many orchestras, the NSO relies heavily on philanthropic support. Slatkin hopes to expand both the donor base and the audience.
These goals include reaching audiences beyond concertgoers. Slatkin aims to stream performances into schools and hospitals, offer concert hall tours for visitors downtown, and use social media strategies to introduce new listeners to symphonic music before they purchase tickets.
“We cannot just be a group that plays in the hall for the people who are there,” he says. “The audience today is anyone who accesses what we do.”
Moving Quickly: Ultimately, Slatkin sees the Symphony as something larger than a concert series. He believes it can unite people who might otherwise never connect. And, he believes that harmony can extend far beyond the stage.
With Nashville continuing to grow at record speed, Slatkin is convinced the Symphony can grow with it — reaching new listeners, inspiring new investors, and reminding the city why orchestral music still matters.
“I’ve got to move quickly,” Slatkin says with a grin. “I’m 81 and a half now. But the opportunity here is extraordinary.”