Leon Botstein is a conductor, educator, and scholar driven by one core belief: that access to the arts and education can transform lives and create a more just world. For nearly five decades, he has served as President of Bard College, where he has reimagined what a liberal arts institution can be—expanding its reach through groundbreaking initiatives like the Bard Prison Initiative, Bard Early Colleges, and global partnerships in Russia, Palestine, and beyond.

A lifelong musician, Leon is also Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra and founder of The Orchestra Now, a graduate-level training ensemble dedicated to reshaping the future of orchestral music. His work on the podium is known for its bold, narrative-driven programming that reintroduces overlooked masterworks to modern audiences. He has conducted internationally with leading ensembles and venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, where he served as Music Director for over a decade.

Leon earned his Ph.D. from Harvard in history, but his intellectual reach spans far beyond the classroom. He is a prolific writer on music, education, and cultural history, and has served as editor of The Musical Quarterly since 1990. He is also the founder of the Bard Music Festival, a celebrated annual exploration of the life and context of a single composer, which helped inspire the creation of Bard’s iconic Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, designed by Frank Gehry.

Whether on stage, in the classroom, or through his public writing and leadership, Leon Botstein’s work is united by a commitment to equity, curiosity, and the belief that great art and ideas belong to everyone.