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Eduardo Leandro is a conductor and percussionist who seeks to bridge the gap between both worlds by applying his extensive experience in new music to his interpretation of earlier orchestral repertoire, bringing “new” music’s freshness and excitement to classical and romantic pieces, while also bringing orchestral music’s lyricism and centuries-long appeal into his performances of contemporary music.
He conducts the New York New Music Ensemble, a group with over 40 years of history commissioning and premiering music from over one hundred composers. He regularly performs with the New York University Symphony Orchestra, and has conducted Camerata Aberta in Brazil, Talea and Sequitur Ensembles in the United States, Ensemble Lemanic in France, and the New Music Ensembles in the conservatories of Geneva and Lausanne. He recently served as the music director for the premiere of “The Scarlet Professor”, an opera composed by Eric Sawyer and produced by the Five Colleges Consortium. He has conducted chamber music concerts at Radio France in Paris, in Milan and Torino with MDI and Sentieri Musicali, at Pacific Rim Music Festival in California, and at Festival Archipel in Switzerland.
He is an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University and artistic director of its Contemporary Chamber Players, conducts the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, teaches doctoral seminars related to the understanding and performance of contemporary music, and teaches percussion at the masters and doctoral levels. He also teaches percussion at the Université de Montreal. Eduardo has been a guest lecturer at the Peabody Conservatory and Yale University, regular faculty at Yellow Barn Summer Festival in Vermont, and faculty at several festivals in Brazil and in the U.S.A.. He previously taught at the Haute École de Musique de Genève and directed the percussion program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
As a percussionist, Eduardo Leandro has performed as soloist and with ensembles in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In the U.S. he performs regularly with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, having appeared with Steve Reich Ensemble and Bang on a Can All Stars among others. He is part of the Percussion Duo Contexto, ensemble in residence at the Centre International de Percussion in Geneva for ten years, having premiered and recorded dozens of works. He continues to perform as a soloist and chamber musician, commissioning new pieces and helping discover what this exciting group of instruments has to offer.
Upcoming projects include conducting a new opera by Flo Menezes that involves large orchestra, chorus, and electronics; continuing to learn Ghanian drumming; a free improv collaboration with saxophonist Travis Laplante; and recording the music for mallet instruments by James Wood based on bird songs.
Eduardo Leandro was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, land of carnival, samba schools and rich musical culture. He attended the Sao Paulo State University, the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands, and Yale University. His conducting mentor and teacher was Gustav Meier, director of Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra for over four decades. His percussion mentors are Robert van Sice and John Boudler.
When not working on music Eduardo can be seen taking pictures of birds, learning new languages, or making use of his commercial pilot’s license while flying his plane around the Eastern coast.
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Eduardo Leandro is a conductor and percussionist who specializes in bringing “new” music’s freshness and excitement to classical and romantic pieces, while bringing classical lyricism and appeal to contemporary music. He conducts the 40 year-old New York New Music Ensemble, and has also conducted in Brazil, France and Swiss conservatories.
He is an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University for graduate percussion and artistic director of its Contemporary Chamber Players. He has served as regular faculty at Vermont’s Yellow Barn Summer Music Festival and lectured at Peabody Conservatory. He previously taught at the Haute École de Musique de Genève and directed the percussion program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
He has performed internationally in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In the U.S. he performs regularly with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, having appeared with Steve Reich Ensemble and Bang on a Can All Stars. His percussion duo, Duo Contexto, served as ensemble-in-residence at the Centre International de Percussion in Geneva for ten years. Recent projects include producing, recording, and mixing the music for mallet instruments by James Wood based on bird songs.
Eduardo Leandro was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He attended the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands and Yale University. His conducting mentor was Gustav Meier, director of Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra for over four decades.
When not working on music Eduardo engages in bird photography, learning new languages, or making use of his commercial pilot’s license while flying his plane around the Eastern coast.
