Tania León

The Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair

Tania León is a national treasure whose achievements as a composer, conductor, educator, and advocate are singular. Since moving from Havana in the late 1960s, she has become one of New York’s most irrepressible forces in arts and culture, including her roles as Dance Theatre of Harlem’s first music director, new music advisor at the New York Philharmonic, co-founder of Sonidos de las Américas with the American Composers Orchestra, and founder and artistic director of the commissioning, presenting, and advocacy organization Composers Now. León’s recent milestones include the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Music and being named a 2022 Kennedy Center honoree. From solo and chamber works to orchestra, ballet, musical theater, and opera, her vibrant music defies categorization.

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National Endowment for the Arts: arts.gov
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

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