CANBERRA conductor Leonard Weiss – Lenny to most people here – has just graduated to the title of “maestro” with his appointment to the role of NZ’s national assistant conductor-in-residence.

The position is funded by Creative New Zealand and managed by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Changes to NZ’s covid-related border restrictions has meant that Weiss can now start after a two-month delay.

APO chief executive, Barbara Glaser, said assistant conductor-in-residence program had been created as a long-term strategy to build greater depth amongst emerging conductors within Australasia and that Weiss would take over from the inaugural recipient, New Zealand’s Vincent Hardaker.

The auditions for the position took place across the later months of 2021, and because of covid, involved an hour-long interview on Zoom with a panel of musicians and members of the management teams from all the orchestras across NZ.

During his tenure, Weiss will participate in a structured development and performance program led by the APO’s music director Giordano Bellincampi and supported by the music directors and guest conductors from the other NZ orchestras.

He will conduct rehearsals and concerts across all the orchestras’ 2022 seasons, participate in planning and strategy sessions and meet with aspiring conductors, composers and ensembles studying at school and at university.

“This role offers me a chance to be a part of the season ‘life-cycle’ of each of these fantastic ensembles,” Weiss says.

”I’m especially excited by the chance to work with young Kiwi composers and lead the various workshops scheduled around the country while I am in NZ.”

Weiss, who was studying for his masters at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, before covid struck, has recently been in Sydney, where in 2022, he still plans to fit in stints with Sydney Youth Orchestra, National Opera, The CoOperative and Australian Conducting Academy.

He is best known here as long-time former conductor of the Canberra Youth Orchestra, music director of the National Capital Orchestra and he is still artistic director of the Canberra Sinfonia. He was named the 2016 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for Youth Arts and Multimedia and was an ACT Finalist for 2016 Young Australian of the Year.