Libi Lebel

Libi Lebel is a visionary 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. 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 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 25th season, TMCO has blossomed into one of Houston’s most esteemed cultural institutions, performing at 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.

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. It also supports 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.

Recently she won Third Prize and Best Female Conductor at the Second International Orchestra’s Conductors Competition in Romania. Lebel also guest conducted engagements in Bulgaria, Moldova, and Brazil.

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. She has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Houston YWCA Outstanding Woman of the Arts Award, Houston Woman Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Women, and the CKW LUXE Top 20 Impact Maker Award.