Ford's Theatre Society Names Leonard Slatkin and Gary Sinise as 2026 Lincoln Medalists
The evening will honor Leonard Slatkin and Gary Sinise with the Lincoln Medal in support of Ford’s Theatre Society.
Ford’s Theatre Society will celebrate the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln at its annual gala performance on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at Ford’s Theatre. For more than 45 years, Ford’s Theatre Society has hosted this bipartisan event, which provides crucial support to the nonprofit’s theatrical and educational programs. As part of the evening, Ford’s will present the Lincoln Medal to two honorees: Grammy Award–winning conductor Leonard Slatkin, one of the leading American conductors of his generation, and Gary Sinise—an Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award–winning actor, director, producer, humanitarian and dedicated advocate for active duty military, veterans and their families. The Lincoln Medal, awarded by the Ford’s Theatre Society, recognizes individuals whose body of work, accomplishments and character reflect the enduring legacy and strength of character embodied by President Abraham Lincoln.
The Ford’s Theatre Annual Gala benefits the Ford’s Theatre Society and its programming, including Ford’s Theatre theatrical and education initiatives.
Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin, a commanding presence in American classical music, is widely recognized as a leading advocate for the nation’s repertoire. He has connected the richness of established symphonic traditions with a strong commitment to accessibility, education and the preservation of musical heritage over his 60-year career.
Recently named Music Director of the Nashville Symphony, he will take the artistic helm of the orchestra beginning with the 2026–2027 season, following his previous appointment as Artistic Advisor. His other titles include Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL), Conductor Laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO), Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria (OFGC) and Artistic Consultant to the Las Vegas Philharmonic (LVP). He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting and is active as a composer, author and educator.
Slatkin’s 2025-2026 season included engagements with the National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland), Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, SLSO, USC Thornton Symphony, LVP, Taiwan Philharmonic, KBS Symphony Orchestra (Seoul), Gunma Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo), Nashville Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Warsaw Philharmonic, Franz Schubert Filharmonia (Barcelona), ONL, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica George Enescu (Bucharest), OFGC and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.
Slatkin has received six Grammy awards and 35 nominations. Naxos recently reissued Vox audiophile editions of his SLSO recordings featuring the works of Gershwin, Rachmaninov, and Prokofiev. Other Naxos recordings include Slatkin Conducts Slatkin—a compilation of pieces written by generations of his family—as well as works by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, Berlioz, Copland, Borzova, McTee and Williams.
A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Slatkin also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has been awarded the Prix Charbonnier from the Federation of Alliances Françaises, Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, and the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton. His debut book, Conducting Business (2012), for which he received the ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award, was followed by Leading Tones (2017) and Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21st Century (2021). His latest books are Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Twentieth Century (spring 2024) and Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Nineteenth Century (fall 2024), part of an ongoing series of essays that supplement the score-study process, published by Bloomsbury.
Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise’s stage, film and television career spans more than four decades. At 18, he co-founded Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where he later served as Artistic Director for seven years. Now in its fifth decade, Steppenwolf has earned national and international acclaim. Sinise has starred in or directed more than a dozen productions there, some transferring to Broadway and earning Tony nominations, along with Drama Desk, Obie, Joseph Jefferson and Regional Theatre Tony Awards.
Twenty years into his career, his performance as Lt. Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump brought widespread recognition, earning Golden Globe, SAG and Academy Award nominations, as well as honors from the National Board of Review and Disabled American Veterans. His film credits include Apollo 13, Ransom, Snake Eyes, The Green Mile, Mission to Mars, The Human Stain, I Still Believe and Good Joe Bell. On television, he starred in CSI: NY for nine seasons and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, with additional work in 13 Reasons Why. He is an Emmy, Golden Globe and two-time SAG Award winner, with additional recognition for roles in Truman, George Wallace and The Stand.
Sinise also directed two feature films, including Of Mice and Men, which he co-produced and starred in. For more than 40 years, he has been a dedicated advocate for service members, veterans, first responders and their families—beginning with support for Vietnam veterans in Chicago and deepening through his enduring connection to the military community following Forrest Gump and the events of September 11, 2001.
In 2011, he founded the Gary Sinise Foundation, which serves veterans, first responders and their families through multiple programs. He also serves in leadership and advisory roles with organizations including the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Foundation, Disabled American Veterans, the Medal of Honor Foundation, the USO and Hope for the Warriors.
In recognition of his humanitarian work, Sinise has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Spirit of Hope Award and the Thayer Award, and has been named an honorary Chief Petty Officer by the Navy and an Honorary Marine.
His 2019 memoir, Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service, became a New York Times bestseller, reflecting a lifelong commitment to ensuring those who serve are never forgotten.
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