Meet Leonardo Le San

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leonardo Le San. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leonardo below.

Leonardo , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I must admit that resilience and tenacity continue to develop in me as I face struggles, suffering, setbacks, and obstacles. I was interested in the field of music from a young age. My parents were always supportive though not connected to the world of music. We were in a small town and the conservatories, and music institutions were in the larger cities of Colombia such as Bogota and Medellin quite far from the mountainous Santa Rosa de Cabal where we lived. Our small town had a lively folk musical tradition where I felt free to observe and wonder. In this environment, I was inspired to dream of someday becoming a professional classical composer and pianist. I fell sick for nearly two years from chronic bronchitis and pneumonia that isolated me from my social connections and the state soccer team, and I had to stay home from school because of the illness. During these difficult times, my father worked extremely hard to bring our whole family to the US, where he was. My mother worked full-time in Colombia and was a number wizard for our hometown’s bookkeeping while being a rock for my brother and me. She never gave up on me while I was sick until I gained a full recovery. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, I drew closer to music and other creative interests. Our country was suffering from a violent period in its history but there were some hidden treasures within these challenges. My parents had introduced us to an empiric scientist friend in our town who was building a flying spaceship out of nothing. Something in me was planted then that despite limitations, struggles, sickness, family separation, or lack of institutional support, creativity can emerge and humans can dream of exoplanetary explorations and possibilities in any field. In the art of music, I found a space for exploration, expression, creativity, risk-taking, and a lifetime of learning.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a composer and pianist in the contemporary classical field creating works for virtuosic instrumentalists, ensembles, orchestras, and vocalists. I have been a recording artist and producer for more than twenty years. As a performing composer, I have been featured in venues such as the White House, Carnegie Hall, and the Palais Ehrbar Hall in Vienna.

I’m the founder of the new start-up New Music in New York and North America, an organization dedicated to living composers, live musicians, and innovators. The organization has produced live concert programs in Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia, and the Modus Operandi Podcast. In 2022 the first new concert music program was created in partnership with the Brooklyn Music School. In this program, my sonata for Violin and Piano “The Condor Sonata” was premiered by Juilliard alums, Leerone Hakami on violin and Shay Slusky on piano. The program also featured works by stellar Brooklyn-based composers Jessie Montgomery and Missy Mazzoli.

I had an idea to produce a live concert of new music through my start-up org using the latest Spirio-Cast technology. I was fortunate to partner with Spirio representatives Kevin Heinselman and Patrick Elisha to present the first live Spirio-Cast program in multiple US cities of new music by living composers. An idea can only go so far unless a great team is assembled to help it succeed. The “Spirio-cast is the broadcast of high-resolution music data, perfectly in sync with video and audio from one Spirio to another or many Spirio instruments.” This innovative instrument inspired me to compose Three Spirio Etudes “A Planet for our Children, Placid Ocean, and Seism” which premiered during the live performance through the Spirio-cast in 2024. The project had a great team and sponsors such as the newly acquired Steinway company, Jacobs Music in Philadelphia, and Steinert & Sons in Boston. On the artistic side, the program featured Duo Mundi George & Guli in Boston and Delvan Lin in Philadelphia. The concert showcased works by steemed living composers Jose Elizondo, Paola Marquez, Mauricio Charbonnier, and myself from New Music of the Americas. I was thrilled to share the program and celebrate other composers and performers from the US, China, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia at the Spirio-Cast concert.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three items continue to help me in my growing artistic journey.

1. Observation and Wonder were integral parts of my upbringing. I will recapitulate the story about our family friend, the self-made scientist developing flying objects and machines out of nothing. I observed how old engines, propellers, antennas, gaskets, cylinders, and elements were used creatively to build a unique version of a space shuttle. Observing other artists or scientists at work can spark my ability to wonder, take risks, and unleash my imagination when I make music.

2. Gratitude is a wonderful value instilled in me by my parents from an early age. I have immense gratitude for the teachers, mentors, and colleagues who have guided me since I started the musical journey. Appreciating others contributed greatly to my development as a person and young artist.

3. It takes a great team to accomplish great results. I can not do projects alone. I have learned to Build a great team or be part of one. Other team members bring their unique talents to a project. Fostering a constructive environment where everyone is supported helps to create high-quality work.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am open to collaborating with excellent instrumentalists, vocalists, orchestras, or ensembles. By remaining open to others, new collaborators, and sponsors, I can continue to learn and improve as a composer and content creator.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Image 1 (Christopher Stout) (Main image)
Image 2 ( Jose Arce)
Image 3 (Caroline Santa)
Image 4 (Caroline Santa)
Image 5 (Photo by Patrick Mulrooney)
Image 6 (Le San’s photo by David Johanson)
Image 7 (Image from the MO Podcast, New Music in New York and North America)
Image 8 (Courtesy of Jacobs Music Steinert &Sons, and New Music of the Americas)
Image 9 (Courtesy of Duo Mundi)

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