"Aboundingly earthy, rhythmic and embellished by deeply moving nostalgia, [Scourge of Hyacinths]  stands at the crossroads of every musical emotion. The constant pulsation and incessant murmur that seethes under the pure lines of song weave these different genres into magnificent bouquets.... The direction by Robert Wilson creates a distance which, far from chilling the intention, makes it incandescent."— Tribune de Genève

"...Tania León's song cycle, Singin' Sepia, one of this composer's most dramatic and beautifully orchestrated works."— The New York Times

“Tania León's score...features a spookily strange chorus and intriguing orchestration, creating a richly ritualistic mood."— The New York Times

"León's piece evolved organically and in unexpected ways... The resulting work is a haunting mosaic."— The Sondheim Review


Featured Media

 
 

 Bonita Hyman in Tania León’s opera, Scourge of Hyacinths

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Recent News

 

Photo by Gail Hadani

Carnegie Hall Announces the season-long appointment of Tania León to hold the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair.

Her 2023-2024 residency will include New York premiere of new work by Boston Symphony Orchestra, and curated concerts featuring artists and ensembles who have been frequent collaborators throughout her illustrious career.


Tania León will receive the 45th Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement, along with George Clooney, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, and U2.

“Little did I imagine when studying in La Habana that life was going to grace me with such a distinction! My first thoughts went to my ancestors: they believed in my dreams, and what we lacked in material wealth, they made up for in spirit, encouragement, and support. My heartfelt thanks go to the many people who have blessed my path by helping my talent to blossom and by giving me the chance to be heard. I am incredibly humbled to join such a prestigious family of artists, and deeply grateful to the Kennedy Center for bestowing me with this incredible honor.”

Photo by Gail Hadani

Tania León awarded the 2023 Nemmers Prize in Music Composition

Cuban American composer and conductor Tania León has been awarded the $100,000 Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Music Composition from the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. Bienen School to host the Pulitzer Prize winning composer and Kennedy Center honoree during two consecutive year residencies.


Tania León wins the 2021 Music Pulitzer for Stride, premiered by the New York Philharmonic

The New York Philharmonic commissioned and premiered Tania León’s Stride in February 2020, as part of its Project 19 initiative. Project 19 is a multi-season New York Philharmonic initiative that features commissions by 19 women composers in honor of the centennial of the 19th Amendment.

Photo by Gail Hadani

The London Philharmonic Orchestra announced Tania León as its next Composer-in-Residence – a post she will hold for two seasons, beginning in September 2023.

León will also be the next Composer Mentor for the 2023-2024 LPO Young Composers.


Columbia University

January 2023 - Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library is to be the home of the archive of Tania León.

It seems too much of a cliché to say that Tania León’s archive is unique, but it is that and much more: it is an inspiration.

Stride: A Polyrhythmic Life, Tania León’s biography by Alejandro L. Madrid, is out January 18, 2022

Nuanced and multifaceted, Tania León's Stride looks at the life, legacy, and milieu that created and sustained one of the most important figures in American classical music. Alejandro L. Madrid draws on oral history, archival work, and ethnography to offer the first in-depth biography of the artist.


Music for piano by Pulitzer Prize winner Tania León performed by Adam Kent came out July 2022.