Conductor Leon Botstein has a long record of championing neglected repertory with the American Symphony Orchestra and many other groups he has led over his career. He is also a noted author, having written seven books, and an educator who has created innovative music education programs at Bard College, of which he is president. Botstein is the founder of White Mountain Music Festival and Bard Music Festival. He also founded The Orchestra Now. For the "Romantic Piano Concerto" series, he and The Orchestra Now backed Piers Lane in an album of works by Ferdinand Ries. In 2021, Botstein conducted The Orchestra Now with Orion Weiss on the album Piano Protagonists.