Composer & Conductor
"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
Bonita Hyman in Tania León’s opera, Scourge of Hyacinths
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
León will also be the next Composer Mentor for the 2023-2024 LPO Young Composers.
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.
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.