Conductor Libi Lebel Wins The American Prize in Conducting
National winners: CONDUCTORS (orchestra), 2025
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz founder and chief judge, is honored to announce 2025 NATIONAL winners, runners-up and honorable mentions in The American Prize in Conducting, orchestra divisions. Congratulations! Questions, or to make us aware of any misprints in the listings below, please email: theamericanprize@gmail.com
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. Now in its fifteenth year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation. Information about the 2025-26 season of contests has been updated on the website and applications are now being accepted, with extended deadlines in October and November. (http://theamericanprize.org)
The American Prize in Conducting—community orchestra division, 2025
The American Prize winner:
Libi Lebel
Bellaire TX
Texas Medical Center Orchestra
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, First Prize in The American Prize’s Community Orchestra Division in 2017, and most recently being named a 2025 Honored Artist of The American Prize. Known for her charismatic and passionate musicianship, she is a well-recognized figure in the Houston arts community, having received numerous honors, including the Houston YWCA Outstanding Woman of the Arts Award, the CKW LUXE Top 20 Impact Maker Award, and the Houston Top 30 Influential Women Award. Recent career highlights include winning Third Prize and the prize for Best Female Conductor at the Second International Orchestra’s Conductors Competition, as well as guest conducting engagements with the Moldova Teleradio Orchestra, the Vidin Sinfonietta, the Banda Sinfônica Jovem de Goiás, and the Orquestra Sinfônica de Goiânia. To learn more about Libi Lebel, please visit: https://www.libilebelconductor.com
Learn more about this honor on The American Prize website.
Texas Medical Center Orchestra and Conductor Libi Lebel selected as HONORED ARTISTS of The American Prize, 2025
TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER ORCHESTRA and Conductor LIBI LEBEL have been selected as an Honored Artists of The American Prize, 2025. Honored Artists are individuals (or ensembles) who have proven themselves to be of "sustained excellence" over a number of seasons as laureates of The American Prize competitions. Presented by The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, the award consists of a beautifully framed citation recognizing the honoree's contributions to the art.
The recognition was announced as part of The American Prize annual Independence Day Honors, July 4, 2025, at which time acclaimed American Vocal Artist, Opera Director & Philanthropist, DENYCE GRAVES received the National Arts Award, while composers ADRIENNE ALBERT and MARTIN HEBEL, trumpeter CHRIS GEKKER, conductors CAROLYN WATSON and LIBI LEBEL and the TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER ORCHESTRA were recognized as the 2025 class of Honored Artists. To see the complete list of 2025 INDEPENDENCE DAY HONORS, please follow this link: https://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2025/07/independence-day-honors-2025the.html
The Texas Medical Center Orchestra (TMCO), founded in 2000 by the visionary Maestra Libi Lebel, has emerged as a beacon of artistic excellence and community impact. What began as a gathering of healthcare professionals swapping stethoscopes for instruments has blossomed into one of Houston's most esteemed cultural institutions. TMCO is known as one of the finest community orchestras in the nation, consistently winning top prizes in The American Prize national competitions, community orchestra division. From its humble beginnings in hospital conference rooms to its status as a celebrated ensemble, TMCO has remained true to its mission of harnessing the healing power of music. Under the direction of Maestra Lebel, TMCO has garnered acclaim both locally and nationally. Voted the Best Community Orchestra in Houston and a recipient of awards of The American Prize since 2017, TMCO has captivated audiences with its exceptional performances and innovative programming.
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 First Prize in The American Prize’s community orchestra division in 2017, with additional honors from The American Prize in the years since. To learn more about conductor LIBI LEBEL, please visit: https://www.libilebelconductor.com/
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. Now in its fifteenth year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.
Learn More: https://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2025/07/texas-medical-center-orchestra-and.html
Texas Medical Center Orchestra Celebrates 25 Years at Houston’s Hobby Center
The Texas Medical Center Orchestra will head to the Hobby Center to perform From Darkness to Light, a concert celebrating a quarter century of musical excellence, as well as the orchestra’s challenges and triumphs through its 25 years.
The concert takes place 7 p.m. May 10.
The TMCO is one of the rare orchestras consisting entirely of those who work in the health profession. Most of the members share a dedication to music that goes beyond their daily occupations.
From Darkness to Light begins with Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64. Dr. Mann-Wen Lo of the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music is the guest soloist on the piece.
The orchestra, led by founder and artistic musical director, Libi Lebel, will next present Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, a monumental symphony known for its wide emotional landscape. This work includes an iconic Adagietto and displays the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.
For tickets or more information, visit thehobbycenter.org.