Be part of my new recording of Colombian Art Songs by Jaime León and contribute to the preservation and promotion of the Colombian and Pan-American musical heritage.
I invite you to participate in the recording of the songs of Jaime León (1921-2015), one of the most prominent Colombian composers of the XX Century who wrote an outstanding collection of art songs, setting to music some of the most important Colombian poets.
As many of you know, I have dedicated lots of time an energy to promote the vocal works of Colombian composer Jaime León, one of the most important composers in Colombian history. To date, I have published two books with his complete vocal works, and I have performed and taught his music around the world. I´m certain that his songs are some of the most beautiful pieces of the Latin American art song repertoire and they deserve to be known and appreciated by more people around the world!. For this reason, together with my good friend and accompanist Nikos Stavlas, we are preparing a new CD with 20 of his songs and one of his piano pieces. To complete this project we need your help!
Who was Jaime León?
One of the most important Colombian composers, Jaime León, was born in Cartagena de Indias on December 18, 1921. He lived between Colombia and the United States where his family moved in 1924. In 1929 he started studying piano.
In 1935 he returned to Colombia where he continued studies with private teachers until 1937 when he entered the Conservatory of the National University of Colombia study piano. In 1941 he moved to New York to study at the Juilliard School of Music where he finished piano studies in 1945. In Juilliard, he continued conducting and composition studies until 1947 when he was appointed the director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia. In the same year, he met Beatriz Carreño Mutis whom he married in 1949.
Between 1955 and 1958 he was assistant director of the Orchestra of the American Ballet Theater, and from 1968 its titular director. In 1972 he returned definitively to Colombia as director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá.
In 1951 he composed his first song Aves y Ensueños, the beginning of a large production of vocal works inspired by the poetry of Colombian and Ecuadorian poets. He also wrote works for piano and orchestra.
For his long and fruitful career and his invaluable contribution to the musical life of Colombia, the Colombian government and institutions granted him numerous awards. León died in Bogotá in 2015.
How can you participate?
You can participate of this project by buying the CDs in advance and/or contributing with money to complete the project. In exchange we have prepared for you exciting rewards. But, the most important one should be to know that you are contributing to preserve and promote an important part of the Colombian and universal musical heritage!
Rewards!
