Slovakian conductor Ondrej Lenárd was born in 1942 and had his early training in Bratislava, where, at the age of 17, he entered the Academy of Music and Drama to study under Ludovit Rajter. Lenárd’s work with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra began in 1970 and in 1977 he was appointed Principal Conductor. At the same time he has travelled widely abroad in Europe, the Americas, Russia and elsewhere as a guest conductor. He has also renewed an earlier connection with the Slovak National Opera, where he was General Music Director for two years, between 1984 and 1986.