Meet the Artist: HH Symphony Orchestra Chorus

BRANDON LEONARD

BRANDON LEONARD

CELLO

Holiday Pops November 28 & 29, 2021

“Brandon was also selected as the 2018-2019 principal cellist for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) in Atlanta, Georgia, and was a recipient of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 MYSO Scholarship Awards.” Brandon Leonard began playing the cello in the fourth grade at Kittredge Magnet School in Atlanta, Georgia. He chose to play the cello because he thought “the tone was warm and beautiful.” During fifth grade, Brandon was selected to participate in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program (TDP), studying with Karen Freer. He was introduced to the Talent Development Program by Stacey Thompson, his first orchestra director in elementary school. Brandon has attended summer music camps at the Atlanta Chamber Music Festival, the Tanglewood Junior Strings Intensive program and the Center Stage Strings program at the University of Michigan. He was a participant in the 2017-2020 Georgia Music Educators (GMEA) All State Middle School Orchestra. He also served as principal cellist in 2017 and 2019 for the GMEA All State Middle School Orchestra and was selected as principal in 2020 for the High School Orchestra.

Brandon was also selected as the 2018-2019 principal cellist for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) in Atlanta, Georgia, and was a recipient of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 MYSO Scholarship Awards. Currently, he is a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO) .

In 2020, Brandon won 2nd prize in the National Sphinx Competition and the Center Stage Strings Young Artist Solo Competition. Recently, he won the Samuel Fordis Concerto Competition and will be soloing with the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra.

Brandon also enjoys the piano, which he has been playing for about eight years. He is an honor student and participates on his school’s academic bowl team. In church, he participates in the youth ministry and serves as a youth usher. In his spare time, Brandon enjoys playing board games, trivia, watching TV shows from the 70s/80s and listening to music.

Michael Schwartzkopf is Professor Emeritus of Choral Music and Music Education at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. While at IU, he was a member of the Alliance of Distinguished Rank and Titled Professors and held the Pam and Jack Burks Professorship Chair in Music. Before his retirement in 2012 he became the tenth recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal of Indiana University bestowed by President Michael McRobbie. During his 17 years at IU, he was the conductor of the Grammy-nominated Singing Hoosiers, recording 2 CD’s with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the late Erich Kunzel. He also served as Chair of the Music Education Department and Interim Chair of the Choral Conducting Department. Throughout his collegiate teaching at Indiana, Mercer and Illinois State Universities, his choirs have presented concerts throughout Europe, Greece and China. As a singer and performer, his repertoire spans the entire spectrum of classical and popular music, opera, and musical theater. He has sung in theaters, on concert stages and in cathedrals of Europe and the United States with various orchestras and choral ensembles in a wide variety of styles. During the Vietnam era, he was a principal soloist with the United States Army Band, the United States Army Chorus and Army Blues Jazz Band in Washington, as well as a soloist on numerous occasions in the White House.

He continues to be active as an adjudicator, conductor and lecturer and has conducted numerous state, regional and all-state choirs throughout the United States, Canada and Singapore.

MICHAEL

SCHWARTZKOPF

MICHAEL SCHWARTZKOPF

DIRECTOR, HHSO CHORUS

Holiday Pops November 28 & 29, 2021

“During his 17 years at IU, he was the conductor of the Grammy-nominated Singing Hoosiers, recording 2 CD’s with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the late Erich Kunzel.”