Born in Havana, Cuba, Tania León (b. 1943) is now based in New York, where she has been a fixture of the American classical music scene for 50 years. Her compositions range from chamber music to orchestra works to vocal pieces to operas, and they have been commissioned and performed by some of the world’s most distinguished ensembles. She has also cultivated a career guest conducting around the world. She has contributed immensely to advising arts organizations and advocating for the arts as a teacher and performer. Her individual accomplishments are far to numerous to fairly list here (although the 2021 Pulitzer Prize is a highlight), so please see her full biography on her website for a list of her 70 awards since 1971, 63 commissions since 1996, 50 residencies since 1976, and dozens more board positions and organizations she has founded since 1969. Learn much more about her at her website, New Music USA, Wikipedia, Peermusic, Afri-classical, the American Federation of Musicians, and Brooklyn College, where she has taught since 1985.
León wrote Alegre in 2002 for a commission from the American Composer’s Forum, which included the piece is its BandQuest series. It is dedicated to Juana Gilbert. The score includes the following program note:
Alegre is a Spanish word that means “joyful; with joy.” As an active educator and strong advocate for education, León wrote this lively band work to celebrate the “spirit of young hearts and the youth in our community.”
Alegre is a very rhythmic and syncopated composition. It is performed with precise accented eighth note “off beats,” a subtle effect that adds tremendous feeling to the music. Alegre showcases the rhythmic dexterity of each section of the band and includes opportunities for soloists to improvise as well. Playing with such rhythmic energy and dexterity demands that the performers move with the music in their minds and bodies.
Here it is, complete with improvisation, performed by the University of Minnesota Bands:
See more about the piece at the American Composers Forum and Hal Leonard. For a deeper dive into León’s music, check out this analytical dissertation.