A great conductor does more than keep time—they shape meaning, guide emotional pacing, and help an orchestra tell a story.

For Triumph and Tragedy, the Lake County Symphony Orchestra is honored to welcome Donald Schleicher, Director of Orchestras at Northwestern University.

Donald Schleicher is a distinguished American conductor, educator, and advocate for orchestral music whose career spans more than four decades of international performance, pedagogy, and leadership.

He currently serves as Director of Orchestras and Artist-in-Residence at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where he conducts the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and mentors master’s level conducting students, shaping the next generation of musical leaders.

Prior to his appointment at Northwestern, Schleicher spent 26 years as Director of Orchestras at the University of Illinois, where he was honored with the title Daniel J. Perrino Professor Emeritus of Music in recognition of his contributions to the institution and to orchestral training.

Schleicher’s professional conducting career includes leadership positions with major regional and festival ensembles. He has served as Music Director and Conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and as Music Director and Principal Opera Conductor for the Pine Mountain Music Festival. He has also held roles as Resident Conductor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and as Faculty at the University of Michigan, where he worked with some of the nation’s most talented young musicians.

His influence extends far beyond the academic world. Maestro Schleicher has conducted orchestras across the globe, including the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the Daegu Symphony Orchestra and Incheon Philharmonic in South Korea, the Guiyang Symphony in China, and the Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM in Mexico City. He has also appeared as a guest conductor with festivals and professional ensembles throughout the United States, such as the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (as cover conductor).

An enthusiastic advocate of music education, Schleicher has led All-State orchestras, festivals, and youth orchestras in nearly every U.S. state, offering students opportunities to experience high-level orchestral performance. He is a frequent guest clinician, conductor, and speaker at major music schools, including Oberlin Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Baylor University, the University of Minnesota, Ithaca College, Ohio State University, and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

Schleicher’s influence as a teacher is profound. He is a lead teacher for the International Conducting Workshop and Festival (ICWF) and the Conducting Master Class and Workshop Series, programs that attract talented young conductors from around the world. Many of his former students have gone on to hold prestigious conducting and artistic leadership positions with professional orchestras, operas, and academic institutions globally — a testament to his mentorship and artistic insight.

Throughout his career, Donald Schleicher has combined his talents as a conductor, educator, and advocate for music with a deep belief in the transformative power of live orchestral performance. His leadership brings Triumph and Tragedy into a rich interpretive context, helping musicians and audiences alike understand not just how the music works, but why it matters.

Donald Schleicher brings decades of artistic leadership, international perspective, and deep musical insight to the podium for Triumph and Tragedy. Experience his artistry in person with the Lake County Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, February 7 at 7:30 PM at the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts in Grayslake.

🎟️ Learn more about the concert and purchase tickets on our event page