Tania León

with Jenny Raymond

Jackson Heights, NY

November 13, 1998

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side a                                                                                                             pp. 1-12

Award from Governor's art commission--Judith Jamison--Beverly Sills--Leon's family background--musical background--study at the conservatory--first recital--Freedom Flight to Miami--arrival in New York--work as an accountant.

Side b                                                                                                                        pp. 12-24

Purchase of a piano--chamber music with conservatory student--American Council for Émigrés in Professions: Margaret Bush--Alvin Singleton--Arthur Mitchell--accompanying ballet class--Harlem School of the Arts: Dorothy Maynor--Metah Spaniardi [sp?]--Carl Schup [sp?] Dance Theater of Harlem--New York City Ballet: Concerto Baroco--Bugaku--Allegro brillante--Afternoon of a Faun--John Tarak--Agon--Tones--Cecily Tyson--Community Concert Series with Brooklyn Philharmonic--New York University--conducting the orchestra at the Spoleto Festival--studying conducting with Lazlo Halasch--conducting the Brooklyn Philharmonic--Marlos Nobre: Rhythmicon and Barrios Fera.

Side c                                                                                                             pp. 24-35

Community Concerts with Brooklyn Philharmonic--putting on Broadway musicals and theater pieces--Bright Chen, Joan Tower's Sequoia--Eubie Blake--Sonidas Festival--Hans Werner Henze's new book Music and Me [sp?] on polyrhythmia of music of Cuba--influences from Cuban music.

Side d                                                                                                                        pp. 35-46

Return to Cuba--Four Pieces for Cello--De-Orishas--batá drumming--A La Par--Rituál--Parajota Delaté--Joan Tower--Composing in Black and White--Louise Jalma--Miriam Gideon--women composers.

Side e                                                                                                             pp. 46-57

Role of the composer--crossover--Leonard Bernstein--Batéy--Michel Camilo--"Tarura”--Indigena--comparsas--Licorda--Momentum--Heart of Ours--Scourge of Hyacinths--Bang on a Can, Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Judith Jamison, Alvin Ailey--40th anniversary of Alvin Ailey Company--Katherine Dunham--Drummin'--Peter Mueller Jones--Bimi Miller--1999 Hamburg Festival.

AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES                                                                              292 f-j

Tania León

with Jenny Raymond

Jackson Heights (Queens), N.Y.

June 9, 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side f                                                                                                                         pp. 1-13

Drummin'--opera Scourge of Hyacinths--Hans Werner Henze--Wole Soyinka--Robert Wilson--Julius Eastman and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Community Concert Series--Death, Destruction, and Detroit--Letters for Queen Victoria--The Golden Windows--Edison--piece for Chanticleer--Pueblo Mulato--Singing’ Sepia--Ashbery piece--Scourge of Hyacinths--composer-in-residence with The NY Philharmonic and advisor to Kurt Masur--Dance Theater of Harlem in South Africa--acknowledging unsolicited scores at the NY Philharmonic.

Side g                                                                                                                         pp. 13-24

Residency at NY Philharmonic (cont’d)--time as Music Director of Dance Theater of Harlem--doing concerts with The Brooklyn Philharmonic--Nancarrow concert--Horizons with Jacob Druckman--conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra--Spirituals--Adolphus Hailstork and Boys Harlem Choir--conducting El Amor Brujo--dissatisfactions at NY Philharmonic--piece for Radio Orchestra Hamburg--György Ligeti--essay: “High Rhythm in Cuban Music”--Biennale Award--children’s concert.

Side h                                                                                                                                    pp. 24-40

Letter of resignation for NY Philharmonic--Amadeo Roldán, Cowell, and Varese--Latin American music--Cecily Tyson--Sonidos de las Americas--European engagements--working with musicians on her own music--Reich’s Desert Music--recordings--Manísero--style--concept and use of rhythm--composing--George Crumb--Revueltas’ Sensemayá--Jellalu’s Carbonedsen [sp?].

Side i                                                                                                                          pp. 40-55

Classic Cuban music--influence of political environment on her work--residencies--methods and schedule for composing--commissions--writing for Chanticleer--Momentum for Piano--Hans Werner Henze--Tan Dun--Octavio Paz--extra-musical sources--movement--American tradition of composing--American music in the international scene--jazz--teaching--Drummin'--future direction of music--funding.

Side j                                                                                                                          pp 56-63

American culture--Cuban culture--her solo music--opera project--millennium project, for band--orchestra piece for the American Composers Orchestra--Haiku--Drummin'--sensory instrument.