Despite his youth (he is in his early thirties), Mikhail has already cooperated with some Russian and foreign orchestras. Among them Academic symphony orchestra of St. Petersburg’s State Capella, Caucasus Mineral Waters Philharmonic Academic symphony orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony orchestra Tokyo, Osaka Philharmonic, St. Petersburg’s State Academic symphony orchestra, Moscow chamber orchestras: Pavel Slobodkin Center and Arpeggione, State Academic symphony orchestra of Ulyanovsk Philharmonic, The Mikhaylovsky Theatre (St. Petersburg), Academic symphony orchestra of Moscow Philharmonic, State Academic Symphony orchestra named after Evgeny Svetlanov etc.

Excellent education, received by the musician - Choral College named after Glinka, the St. Petersburg State Conservatoire, where Mikhail Leontiev graduated from the choral and operatic and symphonic conducting. Also, A. Katz's, V. Fedoseev's , M. Gorenstein's, B. Yampolsky's, J. Panula's and others' master-classes - were the beginning of a bright career. Among his tutors were outstanding conductors: People's Artist of Russia, Professor Ravil Martynov, Tatiana Nemkina, People's Artist of USSR, Professor Vladislav Chernushenko.

Leontyev Mikhail took part in the International opera–ballet Festival in Savonlinna (Finland), toured in South Korea with Mikhaylovsky Theatre. He cooperates with the "House of Music" (St. Petersburg, Russia). Since May 2011 Mikhail Leontyev is an Art Director and Chief conductor of the Tambov symphonic orchestra.

A high level of M. Lyeontyev’s conducting was marked in some International competitions. He was awarded special title winner and a prize of Yamaha company at the V Conducting Competition named after S. Prokofiev (St. Petersburg 2008). He became a laureate of the XV Conducting Competition Min-On (Tokyo, 2009), a laureate of the I Open Conducting Competition of I. Mussin (Kostroma in 2009), a laureate of the I AllRussian Conducting Competition (Moscow 2011).