Leonhard Baumgartner was born into a musical family in Austria in 2007 as the eldest of four children. From 2010, he received violin lessons using the Szilvay method, and from 2010, he sang in the Nano children's choir with intensive rehearsals, rhythm training and voice training as well as concerts. The six years in this choir shaped him a lot. He is currently in the ninth grade of the federal high school in Mödling Keimgasse and is studying violin at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz with Regina Brandstätter.
Leonhard attended master classes with internationally renowned musicians such as Maxim Brilinsky, Georg Hamann, Paul Roczek, Gerhard Schulz, Ingolf Turban and Pavel Vernikov. He is also a scholarship holder of the Liechtenstein Music Academy and regularly takes part in the intensive weeks and activities that take place there.
Leonhard is a prizewinner of renowned national and international competitions. His most recent success is the 1st prize at the "Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians" in September 2022. In the same year, Leonhard was the official national winner in violin at the national competition "Prima la Musica" in Austria, being the only one with 100/100 points across all instruments. Leonhard also won the 1st prize and the special prize at the 1st "Oberton International Soloist Competition" of the ensemble of the same name in Graz and won the "WSY Talent Award 2022" in the selection game of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in the Vienna Konzerthaus. He is also a multiple 1st prizewinner with distinction and a special prize from the ESTA (European String Teachers Association) at "Prima la Musica" at state and national level. In 2021, he won the 2nd prize at the international competition "Il Piccolo Violino Magico". The competition was live streamed by the Violin Channel. At the Kronberg Academy 2021, he was awarded the "Manfred Grommek Special Prize" after a concert appearance. He won further 1st prizes at the "International Antonio Vivaldi Competition" 2018 in Vienna, at the "Odin International Music Online Competition" and the "Iscart International Music Competition", where he received 100/100 points and thus the 1st prize with the highest number of points. He won further 1st prizes in 2021 at the "International Clara Schumann Competition", at the Danubia Talents "Vienna Classics Competition", the "IMMC - International Moscow Music online Competition" and at the "London Young Musician". In London, he was also awarded the "Platinum Award" and thus qualified to participate in the "Musician of the Year 2022 Competition" in London.
Leonhard made his debut in 2022 as a soloist with the Wiener Symphoniker under Maestra Nazanin Aghakhani in the Mozart Hall of the Wiener Konzerthaus and gave concerts as a soloist with the Liechtenstein Symphony Orchestra. A concert tour with the Ensemble Esperanza took him to the Angelika Kauffmann Hall in Schwarzenberg.
He has experience with chamber music in various formations from duo to quintet. In 2021, he participated in the chamber music project Mit Musik Miteinander of the renowned Kronberg Academy and took part in projects funded by the Vienna Philharmonic, where he played in the Salzburg Opera Camp and in the Camerata Prima la Musica Vienna. In 2018, he was concertmaster in a youth chamber orchestra in Austria. He has also appeared as a soloist with orchestra at festivals, concert series and competitions.
In 2022, Leonhard recorded some works by Fritz Kreisler for the Austrian CD project Kreislers Erben, which also featured Christian Altenburger, Benjamin Schmid, Ekaterina Frolova and Daniel Auner. The CD will be released by Gramola in spring 2023.
Leonhard is currently supported by PE-Förderungen Mannheim as a scholarship holder.
He plays a valuable Gagliano violin on generous loan.