Nashville Symphony Music Director honored with Lincoln Medal

Maestro Leonard Slatkin is set to be awarded Ford’s Theatre’s Lincoln Medal for reflecting the character of President Abraham Lincoln.

Maestro Leonard Slatkin has won six Grammy Awards after 35 nominations.
Slatkin conducted the Nashvlle Symphony from 2006-2009 before returning in 2025 as music director.
Slatkin joins actor and philanthropist Gary Sinise as the two medal recipients for 2026.

Nashville Symphony Music Director Leonard Slatkin has been named one of two 2026 Lincoln Medalists by Ford’s Theatre Society in Washington D.C. He and fellow medalist, actor and military advocate Gary Sinise, will be honored at the Ford’s Theatre Annual Gala Performance on May 31, 2026.

The Lincoln Medal recognizes individuals whose body of work, accomplishments and character reflect the enduring legacy and strength of character embodied by President Abraham Lincoln. Past recipients include Gen. Colin Powell, Peyton Manning, George Lucas, Aretha Franklin and Dr. Maya Angelou.

Slatkin, 81, is being honored for his 60-year career dedicated to heralding the sounds of American music. He is widely recognized as a leading advocate for the American music repertoire, something he has spearheaded in Nashville. Slatkin previously worked with the Nashville Symphony from 2006-2009. He returned in 2025 as an artistic advisor before being named music director, replacing Maestro Giancarlo Guerrero.

“When you look at the people who’ve received one of these awards, you become quite humbled,” Slatkin said during a phone interview. “You are almost wondering why you’re there. It would seem that I’m the first classical musician that ever got it. There is something quite remarkable about being placed with a group like this. It’s very different than any feeling I’ve had before.”

While preparing his acceptance speech, Slatkin realized how much Abraham Lincoln, who the award is named for, truly loved music.

“ I found myself fascinated with Lincoln and his relationship to the arts because I never really thought about it before,” Slatkin said. “He was a vociferous reader. He loved the theater and in particular, opera during his presidency. Not his lifetime, but during his presidency. During those six years, he went to 30 opera performances, which is more than most people go to their lives.”

Paul R. Tetreault, director of Ford’s Theatre, said in a press release that together, Slatkin and Sinise “embody a commitment to excellence, compassion and civic responsibility that reflects the very best of the American spirit.”

Slatkin set to pay it forward while in D.C.

Slatkin’s efforts to preserve American music and orchestras will be on display during his upcoming visit to Washington D.C. to receive this award. The medal presentation is set to happen in May, about a month before the Kennedy Center will be shut down for two years for a $250 million renovation.

Slatkin said he hopes to go a day early and visit the Kennedy Center, along with the musicians who play there, because he doesn’t know when the building will reopen. There’s been considerable controversy regarding President Donald Trump’s move to add the Trump name to the building, in addition to the way the president is directing other updates and renovations.

“My former orchestra in Washington will be rehearsing and I’m hopeful that I can go in and perhaps say a few words of encouragement to this group because they’re going to be certainly homeless for two years and they don’t know exactly what’s going to happen,” Slatkin said. “They don’t even know if there’s going to be an orchestra. Perhaps I can put into play what this award is all about.”

Grammy winner Slatkin’s influence on modern classical music

During his six-decade career, Slatkin has been music director laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, directeur musical honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon, conductor laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria and artistic consultant to the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting and is active as a composer, author and educator.

A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and a six-time Grammy Award winner (with 25 nominations), Slatkin also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor among many other accolades. Students around the world reference his textbooks when learning about classical music, including “Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Twentieth Century: A Study Guide for Conductors” and “Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21st Century.” And his work with musicians in Nashville, in particular, has made Music City one of the best places in the country for instrumentalists to perfect their craft.

“ I guess, at this age, people sometimes ask, ‘What’s your legacy?’ I don’t really think about it but all of a sudden something like this comes up and you start to become aware that maybe you did leave something of value. Maybe you’ve worked hard without consciously thinking about anything other than it was what you needed to do and what you wanted to do.”