Marcelo Lehninger, 43 years old, has taken over the role of conductor for the Bellingham Festival of Music (BFM) after the departure of Michael Palmer, who co-founded the festival and served as conductor laureate from 1993 to 2022. Starting from 2025, Lehninger will lead one concert per year.
After an extensive three-year search process, Lehninger was unanimously selected by all stakeholders of the Festival, including the orchestra, board of directors, sponsors, and audiences. Detailed opinion surveys were gathered from these groups about the five guest conductors who participated in this summer's festival.
The search committee, chaired by retired physician and BFM cellist Daniel Feller, consisted of four BFM orchestra players, two board members, and the BFM production manager.
Lehninger, who is also the music director of the Grand Rapids Symphony with a contract extension until 2030, made his debut in Bellingham this summer. He conducted performances including the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with violinist Blake Pouliot, along with compositions by Valentin Silvestrov and Dvořák.
Before his Bellingham appearance, Lehninger led the Grand Rapids Symphony to Carnegie Hall in 2018, the orchestra's first performance at the venue in 13 years. His previous roles encompass being the music director of the New West Symphony, as well as serving as an assistant and associate conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO).
Lehninger's recent and upcoming engagements include conducting various orchestras such as the Sarasota Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, San Antonio Philharmonic, Peninsula Music Festival, Prague Philharmonia, MAV Symphony, Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, and Minas Gerais Philharmonic.
He has a notable history of performances, including appearances with major orchestras like the Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Houston, Detroit, Baltimore, and Seattle Symphonies. He also led international orchestras like the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, and Lucerne Symphony.
Lehninger has significant connections to Brazil's top orchestras and has been associated with the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra as both an associate conductor and guest conductor. He has also worked alongside conductors Mariss Jansons and Kurt Masur.
In addition to his conducting career, Lehninger served as the music advisor of The Orchestra of the Americas during the 2007/08 season. He received recognition for his work, including the League of American Orchestras’ Helen H. Thompson Award for Emerging Music Directors.
Before pursuing conducting, Lehninger received training in violin and piano. He graduated from the Conductors Institute at Bard College in New York, where he studied conducting with Harold Farberman and composition with Laurence Wallach.
Lehninger will oversee all artistic aspects of BFM's upcoming seasons, collaborating with the board and the BFM artistic committee. His responsibilities include selecting repertoire, choosing guest artists, planning future seasons, holding auditions for orchestra and chorus positions, creating performance and rehearsal schedules, and contributing to educational outreach and fundraising efforts.
For his first season in 2024, Lehninger will conduct all five of BFM's orchestral concerts.
Expressing his excitement, Lehninger took to Facebook to share his gratitude and enthusiasm for his new role. He praised the orchestra's chemistry and the support from the board, and highlighted his interactions with executive leader Erika Block.
Christina Smith, principal flute player for both the BFM and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, spoke highly of Lehninger, noting his warmth, confidence, and inspiring leadership that brought the music to life during his concert. She expressed excitement about the future of BFM under his musical direction.
