Speaking

From refugee to conductor, Kristo Kondakçi transforms the orchestra into a living blueprint for leadership, resilience, and human connection.

Praised by PBS, NPR, and The Boston Globe, Kristo brings the same intensity he brings to the concert hall to stages around the world, inspiring audiences to see leadership, collaboration, and purpose in an entirely new way.

Kondakçi’s grandfather, Beqir Omari, is pictured playing percussion in a folk orchestra in Albania, c. 1960s

Keynote: The Symphony of Our Shared Humanity

Kristo Kondakçi’s story begins in Communist Albania, where his grandfather was imprisoned for performing Western music, his great-uncle executed, and his mother exiled to internment camps as a child. His family fled as refugees, carrying with them the conviction that a single note could cost a life. That legacy shaped Kristo’s lifelong belief in music as a force for connection, courage, and hope.

Today, he has built a career demonstrating how music can serve those who need it most. He co-founded the Women’s Chorus at the Women’s Lunch Place, giving women facing homelessness and poverty a safe and affirming space for artistic expression. With cellist Alan Toda-Ambaras, he launched the Eureka Ensemble, bringing together professional musicians and marginalized communities to address issues from refugee resettlement to climate change. During the COVID-19 crisis, he co-created Boston Hope Music with New England Conservatory and Massachusetts General Hospital, delivering therapeutic performances for patients and healthcare workers in Boston’s field hospital.

In this keynote, Kristo shows how the orchestra serves as a model for our fractured world: distinct voices sounding together, unified through shared purpose. He demonstrates how the conductor leads by unlocking the potential of each musician, shaping a collective sound greater than the sum of its parts.

Kendall Square Orchestra performance in 2019

What audiences experience:

  • A powerful story of resilience and purpose — from refugee to conductor, showing how adversity can be transformed into vision and leadership.

  • A new vision of the orchestra as community — where distinct voices become strength and collaboration creates harmony.

  • Practical lessons in radical listening and collaboration — tools that apply directly to classrooms, workplaces, and institutions.

  • A renewed sense of connection and possibility — what it means to live, work, and dream together.

Talks & Programs

Leadership from the Podium

  • While Kristo’s keynote reveals the orchestra as a model for society, this talk dives into the conductor’s craft itself. How does one lead without words? Drawing on his own rehearsal and performance experiences, Kristo demonstrates how clarity of vision, gesture, and presence translate into actionable lessons for executives, educators, and community leaders.

Resilience, Innovation & Purpose

  • This talk bridges Kristo’s personal story of resilience with his work at the intersection of music, science, and technology. From a family that risked everything for music to his own rise as a conductor in Boston, Kristo illustrates how adversity shapes vision and purpose. He then shows how those same principles—clarity, deep listening, and collaboration—drive innovation across industries, offering audiences both inspiration and practical strategies for leading with creativity and conviction.

The Leading Tone Program

  • For organizations seeking more than a keynote, Kristo offers immersive leadership development experiences. These programs translate the art of conducting into practical strategies for communication, presence, and collaboration, giving participants tools they can immediately apply in their own teams.

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Book Kristo.

Bring Kristo to your stage for a keynote, talk, or leadership program that leaves a lasting impact. Praised by PBS, NPR, and The Boston Globe, he is known for powerful stories of resilience, compelling lessons in leadership, and using the orchestra as a living model for collaboration and innovation.

Each keynote is a performance that inspires audiences to listen differently, lead with clarity, and connect with purpose.

For availability, speaking fees, and program details, please use the form or contact us directly. We’ll be in touch promptly to begin the conversation.