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One of the premiere American conductors of his generation, LESLIE B. DUNNER enjoys an international career, distinguished by the breadth of his repertoire as well as his electrifying and critically lauded performances.

Now in his sixth acclaimed season as Music Director and Principal Conductor of The Joffrey Ballet, Leslie B. Dunner leads a full season of performances, both in Chicago and on tour. His current season includes re-engagements with the Alabama and Indianapolis symphony orchestras, Chicago Sinfonietta and California’s Symphony Silicon Valley, as well as South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra. Dr. Dunner also makes his debut with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Opera Company, leading its production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.

Leslie B. Dunner's guest conducting engagements have taken him around the globe.  United States concert engagements have includes the major orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New York, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC, in addition to numerous regional orchestras.  Other North American orchestras have included those of Edmonton, Halifax, Québec, Windsor and México City. Abroad, he has conducted Russia's St. Petersburg Philharmonic and Camerata, the Estonian National Symphony, South Africa's Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestras, National and Transvaal Symphony Orchestras and Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica dell'Emilia-Romagna "Arturo Toscanini" in Italy and the Symphony Orchestra of Madrid on tour in Portugal. In 1996, he stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Lord Yehudi Menuhin on the Warsaw Sinfonia's debut tour of South Africa, earning enthusiastic critical acclaim for three "Mostly Beethoven" programs.

Equally at home with ballet and opera, Leslie B. Dunner has led performances of American Ballet Theatre (at New York City’s City Center and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC), New York City Ballet, The Washington Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet (in Chicago and at Los Angeles’ Dorothy Chandler Pavilion), Dance Theatre of Harlem, Madison Ballet, Orlando Ballet, The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, The Birmingham Royal Ballet (at home, in London and on tour throughout England), Michigan Opera Theatre and The South African Ballet Theatre, while opera productions have been conducted in Pretoria, South Africa and with Opera Ebony in New York City. Of special note is his having conducted Opera Africa’s production of Mziliazi Khumalo’s Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu at Oslo’s Den Norske Opera.

In 1999, Leslie B. Dunner ended an 11-season association with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, having held the posts of Resident, Associate and Assistant Conductor. During this time, he led the Orchestra in every type of program, from subscription and tour concerts to Pops, Educational and Young People’s Concerts. In addition to leading successful performances during the DSO’s 1998 tour of Japan, he served as producer of its 1997 holiday CD, Joy! In 1999, his live-recording performance of Alvin Singleton’s BluesKonzert with pianist Ursula Oppens and the DSO was released to critical acclaim on the album Ellington and the Great Masters. From 1996-1999, Dr. Dunner was Music Director of Canada’s Symphony Nova Scotia; subsequently, he served five seasons as Music Director of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, where he reinvigorated that institution and brought it national recognition for its artistic achievements, wide-ranging programming, composer-in-residence forum and innovative educational experiences.

From 1994 through 2001, Leslie B. Dunner served as an assistant conductor to Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic, accompanying them in this capacity on their 1995 10-city European tour. From 1987 to 1994, he was Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Civic and Dearborn Symphony Orchestras, Music Advisor for the Harlem Festival Orchestra and a cover conductor for Erich Leinsdorf at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he was Principal Conductor of the renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem, leading performances throughout North and South America, The United Kingdom (including a gala performance for Diana, Princess of Wales), Austria's Salzburg Festival, Denmark's Tivoli Festival, the former Soviet Union and on the troupe’s  historic 1992 debut tour of South Africa, during which they performed in the presence of Nelson Mandela. With DTH he also served as music advisor for several European television productions.

Leslie B. Dunner is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including both the "Distinguished Achievement" and "James Weldon Johnson" awards from the NAACP, the 1996 "Distinguished Young Alumnus" award from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, proclamations and commendations from city and state chambers throughout Maryland, Michigan and New York as well as the National Association of Negro Musicians. In Detroit, he has also received the "Man of the Year" and "Spirit of Detroit" awards from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.  Dr. Dunner was the first winner of the Colorado Philharmonic National Conducting Competition and the first American prize-winner of the prestigious Arturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition. In 1994, he was chosen to participate in the American Symphony Orchestra League's "Leonard Bernstein American Conductors' Program." 

A native New Yorker, Leslie B. Dunner holds advanced degrees in music from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Queens College in New York City and the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music.

When not conducting, Leslie B. Dunner composes and performs as a clarinetist. As a clarinetist, he has been heard in the United States and throughout Canada on CBC Radio, while his compositions have been successfully performed, throughout the United States and abroad. His Motherless Child Songs, recorded by the Minnesota Composers Forum, is available on the Innova label, and his 1993 recording with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, Magical, Mystical Mouse (music from animated films), is available on the Pro Arte label. His most recent work, The Whirligigs of Time: Twelfth Night Suite for mezzo-soprano, chorus and orchestra, was premiered by the Prince George’s Philharmonic in March 2006. 

"Driving all this movement was the orchestra. This production [Prokofiev Romeo & Juliet] marks the first official collaboration among the Joffrey, the Chicago Sinfonietta and newly appointed music director and conductor Leslie B. Dunner. There is every indication that this will be an ideal relationship."
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

"Some of the most consistently compelling playing I've heard from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra came at the hands of guest conductor Leslie B. Dunner. Mr. Dunner wasted not a motion all evening, and it told in playing of crisp focus and clear direction. Bring him back!"
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

"He's no slouch with the Western canon, as the opening selection from Egmont proved. Dunner coaxed the requisite contrasts, developed a strong pace, and encouraged full-bodied, sumptuous sonority."
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

"You could feel the musicians responding to Dunner's direction with an eagerness born of respect rather than duty, and the result was immensely satisfying."
DETROIT FREE PRESS

"Dunner has a smooth, fluent style and a lot of charm; he brought the crowd to its feet."
THE WASHINGTON POST

"Careful preparation was evident in every section and both major works received exceptionally fine performances. Our professional, well-constituted musical organization and our talented, well-prepared music director have begun to demonstrate that miraculous synthesis of talents that transforms otherwise competent readings into thrilling musical experiences."
THE CAPITAL (Annapolis)

9/21/2008 (6pm) CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
Lund Auditorium, Dominican University (River Forest)
Shostakovich: The Gadfly (overture)
Piazzolla/Jaurena: Adios Nonino
soloist: Raul Jaurena, bandoneon
Orff: Carmina Burana
soloists: Elizabeth Norman, soprano
Thomas Dymit, tenor
Levi Hernandez, baritone
with Apollo Chorus of Chicago

9/23/2008 (7:30pm) CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center
Shostakovich: The Gadfly (overture)
Piazzolla/Jaurena: Adios Nonino
soloist: Raul Jaurena, bandoneon
Orff: Carmina Burana
soloists: Elizabeth Norman, soprano
Thomas Dymit, tenor
Levi Hernandez, baritone
with Apollo Chorus of Chicago
Anima Chamber Choir

9/27/2008 (8pm) SYMPHONY SILICON VALLEY
9/28/2008 (2:30pm)
The California Theatre (San Jose)
Ginastera: Estancia (suite)
Ellington: The River (suite)
Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet (excerpts)

10/2/2008 (7:30pm) KWAZULU-NATAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
City Hall (Durban, South Africa)
Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture
Subramaniam: Fantasy on Vedic Chants
soloist: Lakshminarayanan Subramaniam, violinist
Subramaniam: Freedom Symphony (world premiere)
Tchaikovsky: Capriccio italien

10/9/2008 (7:30pm) KWAZULU-NATAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
City Hall (Durban, South Africa)
Mozart: Idomeneo (overture)
Chopin: Piano Concerto #1
soloist: Chun Wang
Mozart: Symphony #39

10/22/2008 (7:30pm) KWAZULU-NATAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Pietermaritzburg City Hall (South Africa)
J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite #3
Beethoven: Symphony #9
soloists: , soprano
Violina Anguelov, mezzo-soprano
, tenor
Fikile Mvinjelwa, baritone
with Durban Chamber Choir
The Drakensburg Boys' Choir

10/23/2008 (7:30pm) KWAZULU-NATAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
City Hall (Durban, South Africa)
J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite #3
Beethoven: Symphony #9
soloists: , soprano
Violina Anguelov, mezzo-soprano
, tenor
Fikile Mvinjelwa, baritone
with The Claremont Community Choir
Durban Chamber Choir
The Drakensburg Boys' Choir

11/10/2008 (7:30pm) CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center
Mozart: Don Giovanni (overture)
Beethoven: Symphony #3 (mvt. I)
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (mvt. IV)
Ravel: Introduction & Allegro
soloist: Faye Seeman, harpist
Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
Respighi: I pini di Roma
with members of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras


12/4/2008 (7:30pm) THE JOFFREY BALLET
12/5/2008 (11am&7:30pm)
Detroit Opera House
12/6/2008 (2:30&7:30pm) Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
12/7/2008 (12&5pm)

12/11/2008 (7:30pm) THE JOFFREY BALLET
12/12/2008 (1:30&7:30pm)
Opera House, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
12/13/2008 (1:30&7:30pm) Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
12/14/2008 (1:30&7:30pm)

12/18/2008 (7pm) THE JOFFREY BALLET
12/19/2008 (7pm)
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (Chicago)
12/20/2008 (2&7pm) Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
12/21/2008 (2&7pm)
12/23/2008 (2&7pm)
12/24/2008 (2pm)
12/26/2008 (2&7pm)

1/18/2009 (3pm) ALABAMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Jemison Concert Hall (Birmingham)
“A Community Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”

2/10/2009 (7:30pm) INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Hilbert Circle Theatre
"Celebration of Black History"

2/18/2009 (7:30pm) THE JOFFREY BALLET
2/20/2009 (7:30pm)
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (Chicago)
2/21/2009 (2&7:30pm) J. Strauss, Sr.: Kettentanz
2/22/2009 (2pm) Khachaturian: Mobile
2/27/2009 (7:30pm)
Chabrier: Cotillion
2/28/2009 (2&7:30pm) Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
3/1/2009 (2pm)

3/22/2009 (2:30pm) CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
Lund Auditorium, Dominican University (River Forest, IL)
Falla: El Sombrero de Tres Picos (Fanfare)
Ahluwalia: Ghazal
Ahluwalia: Teray Darsan
Ahluwalia: Yakeenan
Ahluwalia: Jo Dil
Ahluwalia: Chant of Wind & Thunder (American premiere)
Ahluwalia: Mere Mathay
soloist: Kiran Ahluwalia, soprano
Falla: El Sombrero de Tres Picos (Introduction)
Falla: El amor brujo (excerpts)
soloist: Carolyn Sebron, mezzo-soprano
Kodály: Háry János (suite)
with Alex Udvary, cimbalom

3/23/2009 (7:30pm) CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center
Falla: El Sombrero de Tres Picos (Fanfare)
Ahluwalia: Ghazal
Ahluwalia: Teray Darsan
Ahluwalia: Yakeenan
Ahluwalia: Jo Dil
Ahluwalia: Chant of Wind & Thunder (American premiere)
Ahluwalia: Mere Mathay
soloist: Kiran Ahluwalia, soprano
Falla: El Sombrero de Tres Picos (Introduction)
Falla: El amor brujo (excerpts)
soloist: Carolyn Sebron, mezzo-soprano
Kodály: Háry János (suite)
with Alex Udvary, cimbalom

4/4/2009 (7:30pm) EASTERN CONNECTICUT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Garde Arts Center
Ginastera: Estancia (suite)
Villa-Lobos: Bachiana brasileira #5
soloist: Diana McVey, soprano
Orff: Carmina Burana
soloist: Diana McVey, soprano
Brian Cheney, tenor
James Rollins, baritone
with The Mystic River Chorale

5/9/2009 (8pm) BALTIMORE OPERA COMPANY
5/13/2009 (7:30pm)
Lyric Opera House
5/15/2009 (8pm)
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
5/17/2009 (3pm) soloists: Lisa Daltirus, soprano
Kishna Davis, soprano
Ashley Howard Wilkinson, tenor
Norwood Robinson, baritone
Fikile Mvinjelwa, baritone