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Mélanie Léonard, Resident Conductor
Mélanie Léonard is known for her vibrant conducting and versatility of style, and continues to prove her virtuosity on the classical scene as well as the jazz scene. 2007 marked her first collaboration with the Montreal Jazz Festival as she led the orchestra that accompanied Colin James at Salle Wilfrid Pelletier (Place des Arts, Montreal) for the “Jazz à l’année” series. She returned to the same hall in 2009 to conduct in Pink Martini’s symphonic shows during the Jazz Festival. She has served as Artistic Director of the Veaudreuil-Soulanges Classical Choir and the “École des jeunes” Youth String Orchestra at University of Montréal. Ms. Léonard is also the founder, Artistic Director and conductor of Ensemble Prima, a Montreal based chamber ensemble devoted to twentieth and twenty-first century music widely praised for their exciting and innovative performances.
Ms. Léonard holds a Doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of Montreal, where she studied with Maestri Paolo Bellomia and Jean-François Rivest. She received her Bachelor's degree in theory from the same university, and completed her Master’s of Music in orchestral conducting from the Hartt School of Music, where she studied with Maestro Christopher Zimmerman. She has participated twice in the International Workshop for Conductors in the Czech Republic, and in the summer of 2004 attended the Bang on a Can Summer Institute of Music at MASS MoCA, where she worked intensively with members of the Bang on a Can All Stars.
In 2009, she won the role of Resident Conductor with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, where she plays a leading role in the development of Outreach and Education programs, conducting the majority of the community outreach concerts. Ms. Léonard conducts most performances in the POPS and Symphony Sundays for Kids series, and serves as standby conductor for all Music Director and Guest Conductor concerts.
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