Anthony León

For the South African politician, see Tony Leon.

Anthony León
Born	14 February 1997 (1997-02-14) (age 27)
Occupation	Operatic tenor
Website	anthonyleontenor.com

Anthony León (born 14 February 1997) is an American-born, Cuban and Colombian operatic tenor. He has won prestigious competitions such as the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in 2023 and the Operalia Competition in 2022, where he received both the first prize and the Zarzuela prize.

Early life and education

Growing up in a musical family influenced by opera, he embraced singing late after initially focusing on instruments like piano and saxophone.^[1][2][3] In high school he joined a choir which rekindled his passion for singing, leading to more serious training. He graduated in Vocal Performance at La Sierra University, where he entered and won numerous competitions such as the Redlands Bowl Young Artist Competition in 2016 and was finalist in the 2018 Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition.^[1] In 2021 he completed his master's degree in music and vocal performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he had received the President's Scholarship.

Career

In 2021 he was an Apprentice Artist at Santa Fe Opera and also performed the role of Count Almaviva in Opera Theatre St. Louis' production of The Barber of Seville.^[4] In 2021 he received a Career Development Grant from the Sullivan Foundation.^[5] In 2022 he was contracted as a member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program at the Los Angeles Opera. At the LA Opera he performed minor roles in operas such as Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Puccini's Tosca and Verdi's Otello. At the LA Opera he also performed the role of Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni, which received considerable praise from critics.^[6][7][8] He was included in OperaWire's "Top 10 Rising Stars of 2022".^[9]

In the summer of 2023 he made his debut at both the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and the Salzburg Festival.^[10] In 2024 he was recipient of the Richard Tucker Career Grant.^[11]

Awards

• 2022 – First prize and the Zarzuela prize at the Operalia Competition^[12][13][14]
• 2023 – Winner at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition^[15]

References

1. E. Schwartz, Penny (2019-04-26). "Reluctant Riverside opera singer finds success after embracing his talent". Press Enterprise. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
2. Landman-Karny, Michael M. (2023-10-04). "Opera Interview: ANTHONY LEÓN (Now Appearing in LA Opera's Don Giovanni)". Stage and Cinema. Archived from the original on 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
3. "Spring 2022 Magazine Feature: A Tale of Two Tenors - Bradley Williams & Anthony León by New England Conservatory of Music - Issuu". issuu.com. 2022-06-23. Archived from the original on 2023-02-25. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
4. "Anthony León, Tenor". The Santa Fe Symphony. 2023-05-24. Archived from the original on 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
5. "The Sullivan Foundation - Winners". sullivanfoundation.org. Archived from the original on 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
6. Farber, Jim. "Don Giovanni Lives in the Music at LA Opera". www.sfcv.org. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
7. Landman-Karny, Michael M. (2023-09-24). "Opera Review: DON GIOVANNI (Los Angeles Opera)". Stage and Cinema. Archived from the original on 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
8. Jalali, Imaan (2023-09-25). "Review: LA Opera's 'Don Giovanni' Scintillates with Temptation, Sin, and Retribution". LAexcites.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
9. Salazar, Francisco (2022-12-02). "Best Of 2022: OperaWire's Top 10 Rising Stars Of 2022". OperaWire. Archived from the original on 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
10. "Anthony León". Salzburg Festival. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
11. Cristi, A. A. "Richard Tucker Music Foundation Announces 2024 Award Winner And Grant Recipients". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
12. "Operalia | Operalia 2022". Archived from the original on 2023-09-21. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
13. "La soprano española Serena Sáenz acapara tres premios en el Operalia 2022". Ópera Actual (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
14. "Tenor Anthony León '21 MM Wins First Prize in Operalia Competition | New England Conservatory". necmusic.edu. 2022-10-31. Archived from the original on 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
15. "Six singers named winners of the 2023 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition". www.metopera.org. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-06-10.

External links

• Operabase profile of Anthony León
• Official YouTube channel of Anthony León