The Leyenda Foundation is entering an extraordinary new chapter. This fall, we are proud to share three announcements that highlight our commitment to bold creativity, artist-first innovation, and the enduring legacy of the guitar. From launching our Artist-First Label with Steinway Hall of Fame pianist Sergio Monteiro, to unveiling a visionary visual identity through a collaboration with acclaimed artist Jack Fowler, to honoring the legendary David Leisner with the 2026 Celedonio Romero Lifetime Achievement Award—each of these milestones reflects Leyenda’s mission to empower artists, elevate community, and carry Oklahoma’s voice onto the global stage.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sergio Monteiro’s Música Launches
Under Leyenda’s Artist-First Label
Featuring Night Music — a new original artwork by Oklahoma painter Jack Fowler
📍 Premiere OCT 25, 2025 at The Soundbar OKC, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
📍 The Soundbar OKC — 615 N. Hudson Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Oklahoma City, OK — October 25, 2025 — The Leyenda Foundation proudly announces the release of Música, a new album by acclaimed Brazilian pianist Sergio Monteiro, recorded under the Foundation’s Leyenda Artist-First label. The project represents a bold re-envisioning of what a classical album can be — equitable, collaborative, and profoundly human.
Música is an intricate journey across continents and centuries, weaving together the intimate lyricism of Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Scarlatti with the lush harmonic language of Brazilian masters such as Henrique Oswald, Leopoldo Miguez, and Alberto Nepomuceno. The result is a conversation between worlds — one that feels both timeless and immediate.
At the center of Música is the Artist-First philosophy conceived by guitarist, educator, and Leyenda Foundation Executive Director Matthew Denman:
“Those who make the art must remain at the center of its story.” — Matthew Denman
“Artist-First is not a slogan,” Denman explains. “It’s a structural reimagining of how music is created, shared, and valued. We’re building systems worthy of the artists who bring the music to life — systems based on dignity, transparency, and ownership.”
The Art of Sound and Vision
In keeping with that ethos, Leyenda sought collaborators whose work reflects both artistry and integrity.
The album cover, titled Night Music, was created by Jack Fowler, an Oklahoma City–based painter whose work has been exhibited from Arizona to Uganda. A storyteller at heart, Fowler distills history, humanity, and place into vivid imagery — from his contemporary western landscapes to public art projections like his now-iconic image of Woody Guthrie cast across the Oklahoma State Capitol.
“Having an authentic Oklahoma voice like Jack Fowler guiding the visual art of our albums means a great deal to us,” Denman reflects. “When I first saw Night Music, it felt disarmingly simple — but it keeps opening, the longer you live with it. That’s what we hope to be building through the Leyenda Foundation: art that doesn’t just impress in a moment, but reveals its soul over time.”
The recording was engineered and produced by Ken Rosfeld, a longtime Denman collaborator and one of Oklahoma’s foremost audio engineers. A craftsman of both analog and digital sound, Rosfeld’s career spans projects with artists from Toby Keith to Tris Imboden of Chicago. His guiding principle — “be as versatile as possible; curiosity is everything” — echoes the cross-disciplinary spirit of Música itself.
A New Model for the Future
Monteiro’s release inaugurates a label that redefines what “record deal” means.
Under Leyenda’s Artist-First model, artists retain creative and economic control, with the majority of revenue flowing directly to the creators and a portion reinvested into Leyenda’s educational and community programs.
Denman describes it as “a quiet revolution in classical music — one where the next generation of artists can thrive without surrendering their voice or their rights.”
Premiere Event
Música will be celebrated tonight, Saturday, October 25 (7:00–8:30 p.m.), at The Soundbar OKC, located at 615 N. Hudson Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102. The evening will include a listening session, conversation with the artist, and an unveiling of Jack Fowler’s original Night Music painting.
About the Artist-First Label
Founded in 2024 by the Leyenda Foundation, the Artist-First Label empowers musicians to create and release recordings under fair, transparent, and artist-centered terms. Built on the conviction that music’s future belongs to those who make it, the label reinvests a portion of proceeds into Leyenda’s educational and community programs — ensuring that artistry and access grow together.
Contact:
Matthew Denman — Executive Director, Leyenda Foundation
📧 matthew@leyendafoundation.com
📞 (405) 535-7940
🌐 www.leyendafoundation.com
Image Credit:
Jack Fowler, Night Music (2025). Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and the Leyenda Foundation.
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Leyenda Foundation Announces Collaboration with Artist Jack Fowler for Inaugural Label Cover Art
Oklahoma City, OK — Oct. 2 2025
The Leyenda Foundation, a leader in artist-first initiatives for music and education, is proud to announce that acclaimed visual artist Jack Fowler will create the cover art for the inaugural releases on the Foundation’s new Artist-First Label.
Fowler’s work spans bold pop-art portraits, contemporary western landscapes, large-scale murals, and multimedia projects. His art has been exhibited not only throughout Oklahoma but also across the United States and abroad, from Arizona to Uganda. Known for pieces such as the Bricktown OKCtopus mural, Fowler has earned recognition for a style that blends regional identity with a global reach.
“Jack Fowler’s art reflects the same values we hold at Leyenda — creativity rooted in community, fearless originality, and the power of artists to transcend boundaries,” said Matthew Denman, Executive Director of the Leyenda Foundation. “His vision is the perfect visual counterpart to the diverse musicians we are championing through our label.”
Founded in 2024, the Leyenda Artist-First Label was created to empower musicians by prioritizing artistic ownership and creative freedom. The label supports solo and ensemble projects across genres — from classical and jazz to flamenco, fingerstyle, and contemporary music — while ensuring artists retain long-term control over their work. Fowler’s artwork will serve as the visual identity for these early releases, helping define the label’s innovative presence on the global stage.
This partnership underscores Leyenda’s commitment to uniting music and visual art, while positioning both Oklahoma artists and international collaborators within a shared creative movement.
About Jack Fowler
Jack Fowler is a painter, muralist, and multimedia artist whose work spans portraiture, western landscapes, and large-scale public art. He is best known for the Bricktown OKCtopus mural and his dynamic exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally. Fowler also hosts Tumbleweeds All the Way Down, a weekly music program on KOSU/The Spy.
About Leyenda Foundation
The Leyenda Foundation is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to advancing artist-first initiatives in music and education. Based in Oklahoma City, Leyenda creates innovative programs that span classical, jazz, flamenco, and fingerstyle traditions while supporting cross-disciplinary collaboration and community engagement. In addition to educational institutes and mentorship programs, Leyenda operates the Artist-First Label, ensuring artists receive equitable support and long-term creative autonomy.
Media Contact:
Matthew Denman
Executive Director, Leyenda Foundation
📧 info@leyenda-foundation.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 16 2025
Leyenda Foundation Launches Artist-First Label with Steinway Hall of Fame Pianist Sergio Monteiro
Oklahoma City, OK — The Leyenda Foundation has announced the launch of its new Artist-First Label, a groundbreaking initiative designed to flip traditional recording contracts in favor of musicians. Unlike the prevailing industry model, the Artist-First Label fully funds recording projects in-house while allowing artists to retain ownership and reap the majority of revenue from their work.
For its inaugural project, the foundation has chosen internationally acclaimed pianist Sergio Monteiro, a Steinway Hall of Fame artist whose performances have already garnered millions of streams worldwide. Monteiro’s new release features striking interpretations of works by J.C. Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Miguez, Nepomuceno, Scarlatti, and Schumann.
The album will be available streaming worldwide in October 2025 on all major platforms.
“This label was created to make fundamental changes in how artists are treated in the music industry,” said Matthew Denman, Executive Director of the Leyenda Foundation. “Sergio Monteiro represents the perfect beginning for this mission—an artist of rare integrity, vision, and brilliance.”
For more information, visit www.leyenda-foundation.com.
🎉 Announcing the 2026 Celedonio Romero
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: David Leisner 🎉
The Leyenda Foundation is honored to present the 2026 Celedonio Romero Lifetime Achievement Award to the extraordinary guitarist, composer, and educator David Leisner.
Recognized by American Record Guide as “among the finest guitarists of all time,” David Leisner’s career has been defined by brilliance and versatility as an electrifying performing artist, a celebrated composer, and a transformative teacher.
In David’s own words:
“I can’t tell you how much the Celedonio Romero Lifetime Achievement Award means to me, especially in this time that is so difficult on many levels. It is the greatest honor to me, especially because of someone who I admire and love so much, Pepe’s hand in choosing me. But also because of the name and memory of Pepe’s dear father, the instigator of so much for which we are all grateful, as well as the Institute, organized and guided with such expertise and good spirit by Matt. There are many levels of meaning for me here, and I am simply very, very grateful.”
A Legacy of Global Impact
Leisner has built a career of rare breadth and distinction. His extensive discography includes 10 highly acclaimed solo CDs for Azica, a celebrated Schubert Die Schöne Müllerin with baritone Michael Kelly (Bright Shiny Things), and recordings for Naxos, Telarc, and Koch, as well as a concert DVD from Mel Bay. Beyond his solo and concerto work, he has been a devoted chamber musician, appearing at festivals such as Santa Fe, Rockport, Vail Valley, Music in the Vineyards, Angel Fire, and more. He also served for 12 years as Artistic Director of Guitar Plus, a pioneering New York series devoted to chamber music with the guitar. Leisner has expanded the guitar repertoire through premieres and commissions from leading composers, spearheaded the revival of 19th-century masters like J.K. Mertz and Wenzeslaus Matiegka, and published influential arrangements of non-guitar music.
Composer and Visionary
As a composer, Leisner’s music has been praised by Textura for its “arresting melodic character, emotional depth, and dramatic sweep.” His catalogue spans orchestral works, chamber music, vocal compositions, and solo guitar repertoire. Recent commissions include Wayfaring, a concerto for guitar and orchestra written for Pepe Romero; Pranayama for the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas; and Love Dreams of the Exile for the Cavatina Duo and Avalon Quartet. Recordings of his music appear on Cedille, Azica, and many other labels. Looking ahead, Leisner shared his joy about Wayfaring being recorded by his favorite living guitarist, Pepe Romero—a project he calls “a dream come true.”
Teacher, Author, and Mentor
For over three decades, Leisner has guided students at the Manhattan School of Music, where he currently serves as Chair of the Guitar Department, and he has taught in master classes and workshops around the world. His book, Playing with Ease: A Healthy Approach to Guitar Technique (Oxford University Press), continues to shape healthier approaches to guitar playing for musicians across the globe.
✨ In celebrating David Leisner with the 2026 Celedonio Romero Lifetime Achievement Award, we honor a musician whose artistry, innovation, and generosity carry forward the legacy of Celedonio Romero and the enduring spirit of the guitar.