Tania León is a Cuban-born composer and conductor with an international career. A true force of nature for new music in New York City, León is the type of artist who accomplishes so much, that you wonder how she fit it all into one lifetime. Oh, and she’s not done yet.
Leon is the 2023-24 Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall. She is curating a wonderful series of new music concerts there in 2024.
Early in her career León founded Dance Theatre of Harlem’s music department and scored their signature ballet, Geoffrey Holder’s Trinidadian wedding ballet “Dougla” (1974) among others. Her signature composition “Horizons” (1999) premiered at the Tanglewood Music Festival.
She has been a new music advisor at the New York Philharmonic, co-founder of Sonidos de las Américas with the American Composers Orchestra, and founder of the Composers Now advocacy organization.
León won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Music and was a 2022 Kennedy Center honoree.
Tania León in New York City
Tania León Curates New Music From Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the United States
Tania León curates American new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound in a musical portrait of 21st-century America with compositions by artists originally from around the world. Tania León (Cuba) “Toque” and “Gran Toque.” Chris P. Thompson (Los Angeles) “Hanabi.” Christian Quiñones (Puerto Rico) “Hasta que no pueda.” Damon Davis (St. Louis) “Ligeia Mare: The Radio Opera, Episode 4.” Elijah Daniel Smith (Chicago) “Vermilion Glare.” Texu Kim (Korea) “Līlā.” Bora Yoon (Chicago) “Casual Miracles.” It’s in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall; on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 7:30pm. From $54. carnegiehall.org 🇨🇺 🇵🇷 🇰🇷 🇺🇸
Tania León and Mitsuko Uchida Discuss the Role of Timeless Music Today
Two master international composers Tania León (Cuban American) and Mitsuko Uchida (Japanese Austrian English) discuss their musical influences and the role of timeless music today; in the Resnick Education Wing, at Carnegie Hall in Midtown, Manhattan; on Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 4pm. $23. carnegiehall.org 🇨🇺 🇯🇵
This is an important conversation because of the classical music renaissance happening in New York City right now. Young people are discovering contemporary classical music, and making it their own in unexpected ways. Dudamel, the legendary Venezuelan composer, is taking the New York Philharmonic baton in 2026. A community builder, Dudamel is already having an impact on New York. The compositions and manner of thinking taught by León and Uchida are part of New York’s classical music renaissance.
Tania León Curates Cuban, Italian, Mexican, and South African Contemporary Chamber Music
Ensemble Modern, the Frankfurt-based contemporary chamber ensemble, plays international composers curated by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tania León including her seminal works “Indígena” and “Rítmicas,” American Mexican composer Conlon Nancarrow’s “Studies for Player Piano,” and new work by South African composer Andile Khumalo, and American Italian composer Christopher Trapani; in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall in Midtown, Manhattan; on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 7:30pm. From $54. carnegiehall.org 🇩🇪 ~ 🇨🇺 🇮🇹 🇲🇽 🇿🇦
Tania León Curates Latin Jazz
Pianist David Virelles Nosotros Ensemble featuring Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto plays Cuban rhythms in many kinds of music inspired by the sacred batá drums, curated by Cuban composer Tania León whose duo for piano and percussion “A la par” opens the program. It’s in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall in Midtown, Manhattan; on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at 7:30pm. From $54. carnegiehall.org 🇨🇺 🇨🇺 🇨🇺
New York Venues
These are just some of the places León has presented lately.
- Carnegie Hall
- National Sawdust
Tania León
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1943, León has French, Spanish, Chinese, African, and Cuban heritage. She is practically the definition of Latin.
León began her piano studies as a young child in the French methods taught at the Carlos Alfredo Peyrellade Conservatory. Cuba is famous for the quality and depth of its music education. León was a student of Zenaida Manfugás, who is considered to be one of the best Cuban pianists in history.
Resettling in New York in 1967, León started working with Arthur Mitchell and founded Dance Theatre of Harlem’s music department. She scored “Haiku” in 1973, “Dougla” in 1974 and another Holder ballet “Belé” in 1981.
In 1978, Léon started the Brooklyn Philharmonic’s Community Concert Series and went worldwide from there. She has worked with the New York Philharmonic and many more great orchestras.
Probably her most meaningful concert was when León’s work was performed in Cuba for the first time in 2010. For international artists, home is wherever you are now, but there is no place like home where you grew up.