Tania León, Afro-Cuban Composer and Conductor Born May 14, 1943, Has New CDs

[Tania León; (In) Habitation: Musical Settings Of Margaret Atwood; Centaur CRC 3002 (2010); Eight Visions - A New Anthology For Flute And Piano; Naxos 8.559629 (2009)]

May 14, 1943 witnessed the birth in Havana, Cuba of Tania Justina León. Last month we reported that the Afro-Cuban composer and conductor conducted “Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota” in Columbia on April 16 and 17. Just days earlier, on April 14, 2010, AfriClassical posted: “American Academy of Arts and Letters Elects Afro-Cuban Composer Tania León.”

On March 30, Centaur Records officially released the CD (In) Habitation: Musical Settings Of Margaret Atwood; Centaur CRC 3002 (2010). Tania León, one of six composers represented on the disc, contributed Atwood Songs, for soprano & piano. The performers are Eileen Strempel, soprano; and Sylvie Beaudette, piano.

An AfriClassical post dated March 5 read “Harvard Arts Beat: 'Tania León is performing and conducting with the Harvard Wind Ensemble' Mar. 6.” On Jan. 5 we posted “Tania León A Co-leader of 'Composers Now' Panel.”

Dec. 15, 2009 saw the release of Eight Visions - A New Anthology For Flute And Piano; Naxos 8.559629 (2009). Tania León's Alma is performed on the disc by Marya Martin, flute; and Colette Valentine, piano. These events of recent months are only the latest in the long and highly productive creative career of Tania León.