“What inspires me is to make music come alive. It affords us an opportunity to connect to the very essence of our humanity, allowing us to come into contact with that part of ourselves which expresses our most profound creativity.”
Libi Lebel, Artistic Director
Libi Lebel is an award-winning conductor, educator, and arts advocate whose extraordinary contributions have shaped the cultural landscape of Houston for over two decades. As the founder and artistic director of the Texas Medical Center Orchestra (TMCO), she has harnessed the power of music to inspire, heal, and unite communities. Under her leadership, TMCO has become one of the nation’s leading community orchestras and was voted Best Community Orchestra in Houston, serving as a cultural bridge between the medical community and the public, fostering wellness, unity, and connection through music.
She founded TMCO in 2000 to offer healthcare professionals a creative outlet and has since led the orchestra to national recognition—including its Carnegie Hall debut in 2013 and winning The American Prize for Best Community Orchestra Performance. Now in its 27th season, TMCO has blossomed into one of Houston’s most esteemed cultural institutions, performing at premier venues such as the Hobby Center, Jones Hall, MATCH Houston, the Wortham Center, and Miller Outdoor Theatre. In 2025, Lebel and the Texas Medical Center Orchestra were named Honored Artists of The American Prize, a rare distinction awarded annually to a select group of individuals and ensembles for sustained artistic excellence.
Driven by her strong belief in the healing and transformative powers of music, Lebel creates interdisciplinary collaborations that unite music with visual arts, dance, theater, and education. She is deeply committed to showcasing local artists, curating performances that combine orchestral music with choral works, movement ensembles, theatrical storytelling, and innovative multimedia presentations—broadening the concert experience and elevating new voices within Houston’s cultural scene.
Under her leadership, TMCO has expanded its community impact through initiatives that bring live music to hospitals, clinics, and senior centers—including Texas Children’s Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann, Baylor College of Medicine, and the VA Hospital. She has strengthened the orchestra’s educational reach by supporting programs that foster creativity and access to music, including a long-term partnership with Pilgrim Academy, a Title I HISD school. Additionally, she initiated TMCO’s Young Artist Spotlight program in collaboration with the Young Texas Artists competition to feature emerging talent in concerts annually.
Recent career highlights include winning the 2025 American Prize in Conducting, receiving Third Prize and the Best Female Conductor Award at the Second International Orchestra Conductors Competition in Romania, and guest conducting engagements in Bulgaria, Moldova, and Brazil.
Beyond the concert hall, Lebel has united the arts and health communities through impactful philanthropy. She co-founded Gran Fondo Texas, a charity cycling event that has raised over $650,000 for the National MS Society, Montgomery County Food Bank, and TMCO. During the pandemic, she led a global virtual performance of Diane Warren’s I’m Standing with You, raising over $7 million for the UN COVID-19 Response Fund.
Lebel feels blessed to have shared her passion for music with the Houston community, where she lives with her husband and three children. She is widely recognized for her contributions to both the arts and medical communities and is frequently invited as a guest speaker. As a testament to her impact, she has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Houston YWCA Outstanding Woman of the Arts Award, the 2024 CKW LUXE Top 20 Impact Maker Award, and the 2025 Houston Top 30 Influential Women Award. www.LibiLebel.com