Leonard Weiss

The myth of ‘forever young’ and the longing for longevity preoccupy and drive many people. Yet growing older is not for the faint-hearted. Composer Asia Ahmetjanova is collaborating with director Franziska Angerer on an installation-based music theatre piece exploring old age, the experience of physical decline, and death as a taboo. Through a spatial meditation featuring mythological figures, the primal material of clay, and performers, ENDLICH examines how we deal with the ageing process and our relationship with the end. Following its world premiere on 10 May as part of the Munich Biennale, ENDLICH is coming straight to Berlin, where it will celebrate its premiere on 22 May, with further performances on 26/28/29/30 May 2026. Info and tickets on deutscheoperberlin.de – accessible also via Linktree in bio. Under the baton of Leonard Weiss, featuring Constanze Jader, Lana Maletić, Jens Ginge Skov, Eberhard Delius, Anke Drescher, Ziv Frenkel, Edeltraut Lettow, Jürgen Linneweber, Alexander Nagel, VAL and Armin Dallapiccola, as well as musicians from ensemble mosaik Berlin. @asia.ahmetjanova @aussieconductor @franziska_angerer_ @camuedo @mirjam_stae @sabrina.bosshard @hanusasebastian @constanzejader @lanamaletich @jensgingeskov_countertenor @betterwieser @io_mi_muovo @chatschaturkanaja @ernst_surberg @rolandneffe @elli.neubert @stadtmuenchen @muenchenerbiennale @prohelvetia A co-production of the Munich Biennale and Deutsche Oper Berlin. Commissioned by the City of Munich for the Munich Biennale, with the generous support of pro helvetia and the Gisela Gronemeyer Foundation. <Video> @fatsox.berlin

May the 4th be with you, and happy @starwars day! One of my favourite @johnwilliams.music scores to listen to (of course) but nothing compares to the exhilaration of conducting this for 10,000 people with the @melbournesymphonyorchestra , part of my Myer Music Bowl debut last year.

Congratulations to the whole @deutscheoperberlin Giulio Cesare in Egitto team for an incredible opening night! This production has been an unforgettable journey and unlike anything else I’ve seen at DOB, with a tremendous audience reception (and four curtain calls) to match. I’ve loved the opportunity to immerse myself in this sensational score, especially with our astounding and exceptional cast, whose stellar musicianship and captivating stagecraft convince me every day that these roles were written for them. It’s been a joy to conduct nearly two weeks of rehearsals and to support the delightful @q.alessandro on the podium. Hugely grateful to our director Sir David McVicar for an inspiring month, and to his brilliant team @garethmole and @squirestagecombat . Feeling more than a bit sentimental as this is my last "assisting" project at DOB thanks to the @operafound4youngaus Now it’s on to conducting "Endlich", premiering 10 May at @muenchenerbiennale , followed by shows until 30 May in Berlin!

Grateful to the Boston Musical Intelligencer for this wonderful review of my @bostonsymphony debut. Very special memories with the @bsomusicians who were absolutely outstanding! "[Weiss created] a large dynamic range, elegant rubato where appropriate, and most importantly, a sense of spiritual connection to the music for players and listeners." "The harpists played [the opening solo] with expressive freedom and deep feeling. The orchestra, of course, took up their melody in due course, beginning softly and growing gradually to grand full orchestra, but always evoking the age and powerful nobility of the high fortress. Weiss and the string sections handled a faster fugato section crisply with admirable clarity of texture. After numerous intriguing divagations of keys and moods, the musicians made the peroration—the grandest statement of the opening theme—quite affecting before concluding serenely." /2026/04/05/more-red-carnations/

Super excited to debut at @ukariaculturalcentre Chamberfest with @siobhanstagg ! Conducting R Strauss Four Last Songs 😍 plus the final Rosenkavalier trio with @rfenlon @sophierennertmezzo and an amazing team of musicians, in brand new arrangements by James Ledger. Tickets are on sale now, and the whole weekend is full of exceptional and captivating programming that I can’t wait to hear. Thank you so much Siobhan and see you there!

I was deeply honoured to debut with the @bostonsymphony earlier this month! Huge thank you to @andrisnelsons and the @bsomusicians for this life-changing experience. Words cannot describe how special it was to share this program with @thezhaoyiran in Symphony Hall, and to make such beautiful music together, after being inspired by the BSO musicians for many years and especially last summer at @tanglewoodmusiccenter

When Andris invites you to @cwtaekwondo , so you and @thezhaoyiran pick up some skills and punch through a few boards. A unique warm up for what was our first @bostonsymphony rehearsal that afternoon (no instruments were harmed, despite our new moves). Huge kudos to Master @dbchuang for teaching us, and to the exceptionally generous @andrisnelsons who has now passed his third-degree black belt!

Incredibly special to experience the @bostonsymphony performing in Symphony Hall with @andrisnelsons leading music by Tarkiainen, Sibelius and Mozart with @maofujita_piano Just wow! Such a joy and can’t wait for tomorrow.

Hear from the 2025 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellows what they're most excited about for their Symphony Hall debuts this week. On 4/3, Leonard Weiss and Yiran Zhao each bring a movement from Semtana's "Má Vlast" to life with the BSO #linkinbio

So excited for my @bostonsymphony debut this Friday, in a program shared with @thezhaoyiran and @andrisnelsons A tremendous joy to continue learning from the exceptional BSO musicians, and to share the stage after our time together at @tanglewoodmusiccenter Plus according to BSO Archives, I’ll be the first Aussie ever to conduct BSO in Symphony Hall… what an honour!

A great joy conducting all Cesare rehearsals this week at @deutscheoperberlin ! Quick team meeting after already bringing act 1 (and about half of act 2) to life. Honoured to work with this incredible team, helmed by Sir David McVicar, on his iconic @glyndebourne production. Big thank you @christophe_dumaux_officiel @elena_tsallagova @stephalanaray @baroni_martina @cameron.shahbazi @countertenor_iborodulin @mbsum @edu.rojas.countertenor @jaredmacwerlein @statisterie_der_deutschen_oper @garethmole @squirestagecombat and music team @timribchester Jens, Elda & Davide.

Special gift to conduct the first day of rehearsals for Giulio Cesare in Egitto at @deutscheoperberlin ! A treat to work on the iconic @glyndebourne production (feat. brilliant choreo) with our truly incredible cast @christophe_dumaux_officiel @elena_tsallagova @stephalanaray @baroni_martina @cameron.shahbazi @countertenor_iborodulin @mbsum @edu.rojas.countertenor @jaredmacwerlein with David McVicar directing and conductor @stefanomontanariconduc !