ASTORIA, NY (December 5, 2017) – Steinway & Sons is proud to announce the addition of Tania León to the roster of Steinway Artists, a select and prestigious group of pianists who have chosen to perform exclusively on Steinway pianos. León is now in the company of immortal legends Sergei Rachmaninoff, Benjamin Britten, Igor Stravinsky, and Nina Simone and contemporary icons Thomas Adès, John Corigliano, and Ahmad Jamal, among others.
Havana-born, Grammy-nominated Tania León is world-renowned as a composer and conductor and recognized for her accomplishments as an educator and advisor to arts organizations. Her commissions include works for the National Endowment for the Arts, The Library of Congress, The Los Angeles Master Chorale, and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, among others. Her works have been performed by orchestras around the world, and she has collaborated with such authors and directors as John Ashbury, Margaret Atwood, Rita Dove, Jamaica Kincaid, Mark Lamos, Julie Taymor, and Derek Walcott.
“Tania’s energy and passion are unsurpassed, and her artistry is the absolute gold standard.”
Ron Losby
CEO, Steinway Musical Instruments
León has lectured at Harvard University and at the prestigious Mosse Lecture series at the University of Humboldt in Berlin. León was also Visiting Professor at Yale University and Guest Composer/Conductor at the Hamburg Musikschule, Germany and the Beijing Central Conservatory, China.
León is both a founding member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the founder of the Composers Now festival in New York City. Her work with Composers Now was honored by a proclamation by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio naming February 1st as “Composers Now Festival Day.” The proclamation recognizes Composers Now as an ally in empowering living composers from many different global traditions and heritages.
A professor at Brooklyn College since 1985 and at the Graduate Center of CUNY, León was named Distinguished Professor of the City University of New York in 2006. In 2010 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her honors include the New York Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, and Guggenheim Fellowships. In 2012 she received both a Grammy nomination (for “Best Contemporary Classical Composition”) and a Latin Grammy nomination (for “Best Classical Contemporary Composition”) and in 2013 she was the recipient of the prestigious 2013 ASCAP Victor Herbert Award.
“Steinway inspires me as a player, and as a composer.”
Tania León
“Tania León is one of the most renowned and sought-after composers and conductors of our time,” said Ron Losby, Chief Executive Officer of Steinway Musical Instruments. “She is a visionary artist and a tireless advocate for music, dance, artistry, and education. We are thrilled to have her join the roster of Steinway Artists. Her energy and passion are unsurpassed, and her artistry is the absolute gold standard. Her values are very much aligned with those of Steinway & Sons; this is a partnership of which we are very proud.”
“Steinway inspires me as a player, and as a composer,” León said.
For more information on Tania León, visit www.tanialeon.com.
