Eva León is a Spanish violinist based in New York.[1]
Eva León | |
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![]() León in 2013 | |
Background information | |
Born | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain |
Genres | Classical |
Occupation | Violinist |
Years active | 1990-Present |
Website | evaleon |
In 2006, she won the 33rd Artists International Annual Debut Prize in New York and soon afterwards, she made her debut at Carnegie Hall.[2][non-primary source needed] León has won the top prize at the Michaelangelo Abbado International Violin Competition.[3]
Early life and education
editShe was born and raised in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria,[4] Canary Islands, Spain. Both her parents were music lovers and she attended her first concert at the age of 3.[5] She started playing violin when she was 8.[6]
At the age of 13, she moved away from her family to Barcelona[7] to continue her violin studies under the tutelage of Xavier Turull. She also studied with Ruggiero Ricci (Salzburg), José Luis García Asensio (London),[8] and Oleg Krysa (USA). She was awarded a scholarship to further her studies by the Foundation Güell, Musical Youth Foundation La Caixa, and the Association Sofía Puche.[7] In 2000 she moved to New York to study with Neil Weintrob and was awarded her Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music.[9]
Career
editLeón started performing professionally at age 15. By age 18 she had won the Juventudes Musicales in Spain and at age 20 had her debut at Palau de la Música in Barcelona.[10][11] She has performed in the United States, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East. She has recorded for television and for radio including Japanese National TV, the American National TV and Spanish National TV. She has performed with the Boston Classical Orchestra,[12] Mexico State Symphony Orchestra, the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, the Del Empordà Chamber Orchestra, the Galesburg Symphony, the Bratislava Chamber Orchestra, the Las Cruces Symphony[13] the Rockford Symphony,[14] the Colombia National Symphony, Castile and León Symphony Orchestra and Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra[15] and has worked with conductors such as Carlos Kalmar, Max Bragado-Darman, Steven Lipsitt, Enrique Bátiz, Steven Larsen and Baldur Bronniman.
León made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2006[16] and her Boston debut as soloist in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in 2009[17] playing with Steven Lipsitt and the Boston Classical Orchestra.[18] She was featured at the Knox-Galesburg Symphony at its 60th anniversary concert 2009 held at the Orpheum Theatre.[19] León performed Leonard Bernstein's unique reflection on love with The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra in 2012 at a Valentine's Day program.[12]
In May 2009, León wrote an article titled, Discover the Chamber-music of Spanish Composer Joaquín Turina which was featured at the Master Class section at Strings Magazine.[20]
She draws her influence from Johann Sebastian Bach[5] and is a regular performer of Spanish composer Pablo de Sarasate.[21]
Discography
editLeón recorded her debut CD in 1996 with music by Grieg, Sarasate, Turull and Toldra for Moraleda Records.[22] In 2009 she released her first CD for Naxos with music by Joaquín Turina, becoming the first Spanish violinist to record violin repertoire with them. She now has a multi-album record contract with Naxos. Recordings of Xavier Montsalvatge and Joaquín Rodrigo violin and piano music will be released under the same label.[23][24]
In 2011, León was featured in Klassic Cat Records CD Consuelo Colomer.[25]
Reception
editLa Vanguardia wrote that León "has the power to captivate the five senses of her audience" and "on stage, she is an imposing presence, winning over [the audience] with her astonishing vitality and the energy of her interpretations."[19] La Provincia, commenting about León’s performance in 2009 wrote, "Fully substantive interpretation… the variety of the program reflects a curiosity, maturity and experience generally absent in young virtuosos … a combination of perfection and grace…wonderful acoustic flavor…a performer who will arouse much fascination."[2][non-primary source needed][26]
The Boston Music Intelligencer wrote about her debut at Boston Classical Orchestra, "Ms. León showcased her strengths as a recitalist: expressive adagio playing, exploration of contrasts in articulation, and her ability to communicate emotion through both her visual and musical presentation… Ms. León’s mastery seemed to emerge naturally from the full string sound. In the final movement, Ms. León’s variety of expression and articulation won over the audience. She is full of youthful exuberance and fully involved in the emotional aspects of her delivery."[2][non-primary source needed][17] Neue Presse of Germany wrote "charismatic violinist who possesses, along with her musical talent and tremendous aura, a gift for expression."[27]
Awards and honors
edit- Michaelangelo Abbado International Violin Competition – Top prize.
- Winner of the 33rd Artists International Annual Debut Prize in New York.[2][non-primary source needed]
- Maria Canals International Music Competition – Laureate[3]
- Winner of “Amics de Joan Massiá” Violin Competition as well as Best Interpreter of his work[7]
- Winner of Juventudes Musicales of Spain[28]
- Winner of the Ciudad de Soria Violin Competition.[29]
References
edit- ^ "The Canarian violinist Eva León debuts tonight with the OST". Eldia. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Eva León – About". Eva León Violin. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Eva León, violin". Virtuous Artist Management. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Eva León, violí". Nona Arola Management. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ a b "A Story of Inspiration and Dedication – Meet Eva León". SOCO Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- ^ "Q&A with KGS guest performer Eva León". The Register-Mail. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ a b c "Conciertos desde 1975". Fundacion Juan March. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Edición del viernes, 25 agosto 1995, página 31". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- ^ "La violinista Eva León y el pianista Daniel Epstein ofrecen este jueves un recital". LaVoz. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- ^ "Eva León: "El nivel de los violinistas españoles está subiendo muchísimo"". farodevigo.es. 10 August 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- ^ "concurso den jovenes interpretes de juventudes musicales de espana". portalferias.com. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- ^ a b "New Bedford Symphony Orchestra explores "Aspects of Love"". South Coast Today. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Las Cruces Symphony Chamber Orchestra Sets Eva León Concert for 3/3". BWW Music. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "RSO season opens Saturday at Coronado". rrstar.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Knox-Galesburg Symphony March Concert To Feature Guest Conductor And Violin Soloist". Knox-Galesburg Symphony. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "El Carnegie Hall abre sus puertas a la violinista española Eva León". IBL News. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Eva León in Strong Debut With BCO". The Boston Music Intelligencer. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Introducing Spanish Violinist Eva Leon". Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Knox-Galesburg Symphony at its 60th anniversary subscription concert Saturday". The Register-Mail. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Discover the Chamber-music of Spanish Composer Joaquín Turina". All Things Strings. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "La violinista canaria Eva León debuta con la Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife". edigitaldecanarias. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Eva León, Violí". allmusic.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Entrevista con la violinista Eva León". Una Voce Poco Fa. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "TURINA, J.: Violin and Piano Music – Violin Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 / El poema de una sanluquena / Variaciones clasicas / Euterpe (Leon, Maso)". Naxos. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Consuelo Colomer". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- ^ "La violinista Eva León actúa esta semana con la Sinfónica de Colombia en Bogotá". La Provencia. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Eva León". Conciertos Daniel. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ "Concurso Permanente de Jóvenes Intérpretes de JME". Juventudes Musicales de Bilbao. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- ^ "musical soriano del 7 al 28 de septiembre" (PDF). soria.es. Retrieved 22 September 2013.