Biography
He has traveled to countries on the Asian and European continent, such as Germany, France, South Korea, Tokyo (Japan), Edinburgh, Thailand, Italy, among others, with different Tango projects and popular music from his country.
He recorded two albums, De Puerto a Puerto and Fantasma Fiel, awarded by the MEC. He won the National Music Awards in 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022. He performed in the 3 main Jazz Festivals in Uruguay; “Lapataia” (Punta del Este) with Paquito de Rivera, “Jazz on the street” (Mercedes) and “Jazztour” (Montevideo), with his group Leo Gasso Trio.
He has been part of Jazz-Fusion group projects such as; Luis Alderotti Quartet, Federico Lazarini Grupo, Alfonso Santini Grupo, Pasajero Luminoso, among others from Uruguay and Argentina.
He obtained recognition for “Lonjatangó and Leo Gasso Cuarteto”, both solo projects, for “Expande Músicas”, a program promoted by the Ministry of Education and Culture (Mec) with the aim of taking his music to the world in 2022.
Selected and winner of the international competition “Che Bandoneón” of the contest held in the city of Stowe (Vermont) in the United States, in August 2022.
At the end of 2022 he is summoned to play with the Tenerife Philharmonic (Spain) to accompany the prestigious lyrical singer Nancy Fabiola Herrera.
He performed at Galas de Tango with the OFM, (Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra) as first bandoneon player and soloist. In 2020 he was the first prize of the NATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION, with the work Dante en Lagomar, Tango category.
In 2021 he made a Tribute to Piazzolla together with the OSSODRE. He performs performances with Lonjatangó, a project created and led by Leonel, and supported by CIATYC, the Inter-Ministerial Commission to support Tango and Candombe.
Early 2022 he performed as a soloist at the prestigious Mercedes Jazz Festival. (Jazz on the street), where this same year he also entered UTEC (Technological University Degree in Jazz and creative music).
In May 2024 Leonel was summoned to accompany the prestigious and popular opera singer Placido Domingo in the bullring of Colonia – Uruguay. Together with the Filarmonica de Montevideo and the outstanding lyric singers Nancy Fabiola and Virginia Tola, they gave a great zarzuela and tango concert.
