Tania Leon, Composer

COMPOSERS NOW AWARDED TRANSFORMATIVE GRANT FROM THE ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FUND

Composers Now has been awarded a transformative grant from the Rockefeller Brothers fund for 2015. The support will allow Composers Now to continue to deepen its commitment to composers, both through the annual festival in NYC's five boroughs, and through the expansion of its current programs. The grant also allows for the possibility of new initiatives in support of the organization's mission.

The Composers Now Festival celebrates and honors living composers, the diversity of their voices and the significance of their contributions to the cultural fabric of our society. Presented collaboratively with organizations throughout the five boroughs during the month of February, the festival features a broad spectrum of performances in concert halls, jazz clubs, opera stages, experimental and non-traditional spaces, conservatories and museums. Featured composers are in attendance at all events, participating in concerts, lectures and panels designed to put a public face on the art form that captures the vitality and innovations that composers of all genres bring to our communities.

Read the press release | See the Composers Now Festival Schedule.

Compositions in the Digital World TANIA LEÓN INTERVIEW FEATURED IN COMPOSITION IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

A new interview with Tania León is featured in Composition in the Digital World: Conversations with 21st Century American Composers by Robert Raines (Oxford University Press, 2015). In this series of personal interviews with some of the most prominent composers of art music currently working on the American music scene, composer and educator Robert Raines leads the intimate conversations through subjects ranging from the source of inspiration to work habits, the realities of the business of music, and the impact of technology on music and life in the 21st century. A loving homage to the artistic spirit, this book is a must-read for students of composition, professors and scholars of music, composers and aspiring composers, and anyone interested in the subjective process of writing music. This rich and entertaining collection provides a unique glimpse into the workings of the creative spirit in the digital age. Click here for more information.

FIRST PERFORMANCE: A Concert of New Music
Composed in Memory of Emery W. Harper

The Century Association presents a concert of new music composed in memory of Emery W. Harper, which will feature a performance of Tania León's new work, Mi Amor Es, set to poetry by Carlos Pintado. The work will be performed by Robert Osborne, baritone and Todd Crow, piano. Other composers taking part in the event including William Bolcom, David Del Tredici, John Eaton, Lowell Liebermann, Jorge Martin, Paul Moravec, Bernard Rands, Jose Serebrier, Steven Stucky, and Yehudi Wyner. The concert takes place on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, at 6:00 pm, at The Century Association, 7 West 43rd St., New York, NY.

COMPOSERS NOW FESTIVAL KICK OFF EVENT @ the cell

The 2015 Composers Now Festival kicks off on Friday, January 30, with a massive event at the cell on 338 West 23rd St., NYC. Fifteen composers will present works in two sessions, including two world premieres, and there will also be composers dialogues and much more! Tania León, founder and artistic director of Composers Now, hosts the event. See the Composers Now website for more information.

UNIV. OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS RECEIVES GRANTS FROM NEA, TOULMIN, FOR LEÓN'S LITTLE ROCK NINE

The National Endowment for the Arts, the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, and the Fred Darragh Foundation have awarded grants to the University of Central Arkansas's College of Fine Arts and Communication in support of the commission, development, and premiere of Little Rock Nine by composer Tania León and librettist Henry Louis Gates, Jr. León and Gates will create a two hour score based on the true story of nine African-American students who, in 1957, under federal troop escort, entered all-white Central High School to obtain an equal education. Little Rock and "The Nine" came to symbolize the federal government's commitment to eliminating separate systems of education for blacks and whites. A universal and original story of heroism in the face of racial prejudice, the opera is expected to resonate with a diverse audience. For more information, visit UCA's website.

New York Times / Arts Beat's Allan Kozinn writes: An Opera About Little Rock Integration, With Libretto by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Read the press release: The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Brings Major Support to the Opera The Little Rock Nine by Tania León and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

*NEW*: Click here for a gallery of photos from Dance Theatre of Harlem's and DanceBrazil's performances of Haiku and Inura.

"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."
— Allan Kozinn, The New York Times

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

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

Scene from Tania Leon's opera, Scourge of Hyacinths