Leonardo Pineda is Music Director of The Orchestra San Antonio (TOSA), resident orchestra of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Recognized for his expressive clarity, structural command, and imaginative programming, Pineda represents a new generation of conductors who combine core symphonic repertoire with contemporary voices and dynamic audience engagement. His appointment in San Antonio, followed a series of acclaimed guest appearances that drew prolonged standing ovations and unanimous praise from audiences and critics alike.
Pineda’s official debut at the Tobin Center’s H-E-B Performance Hall featured internationally renowned trumpeter Pacho Flores and concluded with a three-minute standing ovation and four curtain calls. Voice of San Antonio wrote: “At the helm was conductor Leonardo Pineda. His dynamic and expressive leadership elicited an extraordinary level of nuance and musicality from the ensemble. You could feel the deep connection between the conductor and musicians, and the sense that this was just the beginning of something special.”
In 2025, Pineda made his sold-out Carnegie Hall debut with Ensemble Connect, conducting the world premiere of a work by Carolina Noguera in a program curated by Gabriela Ortiz.
Recent seasons highlight Pineda’s versatility across symphonic, concerto, and ballet repertoire. During the 2024–25 season, he led the San Antonio premiere of Arturo Márquez’s Trumpet Concerto with Pacho Flores and conducted Korngold’s Violin Concerto with violinist Francisco Fullana, alongside a broad range of core symphonic repertoire. He has also conducted the San Antonio premieres of works by Juan Pablo Contreras, including Mariachitlán and MeChicano. Contreras praised Pineda’s interpretation, noting his “impressive control through complex tempo changes in Mariachitlán.”
Highlights of the 2025–26 season include acclaimed performances of major symphonic repertoire—including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World—nine performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with Ballet San Antonio, the New York premiere of Márquez’s Trumpet Concerto with Pacho Flores and The Orchestra Now, and the San Antonio premiere of Daniel Freiberg’s Crónicas latinoamericanas.
Pineda serves on the faculty of Bard College, where he is a guest condcThe Orchestra Now (TŌN) and leads educational partnerships with ensembles including the All-City Orchestra, Filarmónica Joven de Colombia, and the Classical Music Institute.
His work has earned praise from leading composers. Miguel del Águila remarked that Pineda conducted Conga Line in Hell “as if he had composed it himself.”
He was selected from 250 international applicants for the Carlos Prieto Conducting Fellowship, where he received the Distinction Prize.
Leonardo is represented globally by pura musica.