Praised by the New York Times as a “splendid player”, Argentinean bandoneónist Héctor Del Curto has captivated the audiences around the world as a soloist and chamber musician, sharing the stage with the world–renowned tango legends Astor Piazzolla and Osvaldo Pugliese, pianist Pablo Ziegler, clarinetist Paquito D´Rivera, ballet dancer Julio Bocca, National Symphony Orchestra (Washington D.C.), Buenos Aires Symphony Orchestra and Teatro Colón Ballet among many others. After a Carnegie Hall concert in April 1999 with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and outstanding artists such as Gary Burton, Joe Lovano, Pablo Ziegler, José Angel Trelles and Maria Graña, the New York Times highlighted Mr. Del Curto´s artistry, making special mention of his “wistful, piercing solos on the bandoneón.”
 
Mr. Del Curto had won the title of “Best Bandoneón Player under 25” when he was only 17 years of age. This award led, Osvaldo Pugliese to invite him to play in his legendary orchestra, which made him the youngest bandoneonist in the history of Pugliese’s Orchestra. In 1999, Héctor Del Curto received the Golden Note Award from the Italian–American Network in recognition of his artistic achievements. As conductor, he directed the spectacular show “Forever Tango” on Broadway and founded the “Eternal Tango Orchestra” a ten piece ensemble. Mr. Del Curto has produced a critically acclaimed CD, Eternal Tango and the album was successfully released in June, 2007.
 
Héctor Del Curto´s recordings include performances with Osvaldo Pugliese and Astor Piazzolla on “Finally Together” (Lucho Records), Pablo Ziegler on the albums “Asphalt” and “Quintet for the New Tango” (BMG), “Tango Magic” (Sony Music–USA) on video and DVD and “Tango and All That Jazz” (Kind of Blue Records), and Luis Borda Cuarteto on “Linea de Tango” (Jazz and Fusion Records). Also he appears as guest artist in recordings such as Tito Puente’s “Masterpiece”, Paquito D´Rivera´s “Funk Tango”, Ricardo Arjona´s “Santo Pecado” (Sony International), and Shakira´s “Laundry Services” (BMG).
www.hectordelcurto.com
 
Hector Del Curto on BBC

Hailed by La Nacion for his “beautiful sound and exquisite musicality”, Argentinean violinist Sami Merdinian has received worldwide recognition for his outstanding performances as a soloist and chamber musician. Sami has recently appeared with the Montevideo Philharmonic, the Argentinean National Symphony, The Charlemagne Orchestre, Symphony Pro Musica, The Gagneung Philharmonic in South Korea, Philharmonia of the Nations at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Buenos Aires Philharmonic at Teatro Colon. Mr. Merdinian’s most recent recitals includes a collaboration with pianist Enrico Pace at Al Bustan Festival in Lebanon, Mr. Merdinian has been prize winner in several international competitions including Gold Medal in the XII International Young Solo Instrumentalists Competition in Argentina and the New Talent Competition in Slovakia organized by the European
Radio.
 
www.samimerdinian.com

Cellist, Jisoo Ok is a multi-faceted musician who has distinguished herself as an interpreter of classical, tango, jazz and contemporary music. She has closely collaborated with distinguished musicians such as pianist Pablo Ziegler, bandoneonist Héctor Del Curto and clarinetist, Paquito D’Rivera and performed with renowned jazz violinist Regina Carter, gypsy guitarist Dorado Schmitt and tango singer Sandra Luna. She performed worldwide in venues and festivals such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall,
Kennedy Center, Birdland, La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest, Concerti di Mezzogiorno at Spoleto Festival in Italy, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Miami International Piano Festival, Copa Fest in Brazil, Houston International Festival and SummerStage at Central Park.
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www.okcellist.com

Originally from Córdoba Argentina, Pedro Giraudo moved to New York City in 1996. Since then he has become a highly versatile bassist, composer and arranger, performing in a wide variety of musical projects, both his own award winning Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra and as a member of several prominent ensembles, ranging from tango to jazz. Pedro Giraudo has collaborated with Pablo Ziegler, Paquito D’Rivera, Latin American icon Ruben Blades, William Cepeda, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garret, Regina Carter, Nestor Torres, Miguel and Zenon among many others. Pedro Giraudo has also performed with U.S.’s most prominent tango ensembles including Hector Del Curto’s Eternal Tango, Fernando Otero’s X-Tango and Daniel Binelli’s ‘Tango Metropolis’.
 
www.pedrogiraudo.com

Octavio is a pianist, composer and arranger who studied classical piano in his home town Rosario, Argentina. While still quite young, he received in a local Festival two First Prizes as a composer and pianist of tango performing his awarded piece with the Symphonic Orchestra of Rosario. He moved to the United States in 2004 where his participation in New York’s International Tango Competition won him two first prizes: Best Solo Pianist and Best Duo with Saxophone player Bernardo Monk. Since then, he has a busy schedule as an arranger and orchestrator for several Orchestras, chamber groups, as well as a soloist and chamber player. With his main ensemble, Octavio Brunetti Quintet, he has appeared at the Kaufmann Hall, Jamaica Center for the Arts and the NY City Center.
 
www.octaviobrunetti.com

Gustavo Casenave Official Website | Gustavo Casenave on Facebook | Gustavo Casenave on Instagram 

Pianist and composer Gustavo Casenave is a 2019 Latin GRAMMY® Award Winner with five Latin Grammy nominations under his name. Born in Uruguay and based in New York since 1997, he has been awarded with two Gold Medals at the Global Music Awards along with several other national and internationals awards including: New Music USA, Con Edison Composers Residency Award , QCA Art Fund Awardee/ New Works Grant and “Belgian Artistic Promotion” at Europe Jazz Contest 1999. With vast discography comprised of more than 34 albums as a band leader, he has been touring worldwide since 1996, performing, recording and collaborating with an eclectic selection of internationally acclaimed artists including: Yoyo Ma, John Patitucci, Paquito D’ Rivera, Bette Midler, Neil Sedaka,Eddie Gomez, Manolo Badrena, Deepak Chopra, Nick Danielson, Mark Egan, Robert Duvall, Jane Ira Bloom, Nestor Torres and John Benitezamong many others. Between his Jazz, Tango and Contemporary Classical music works, Casenave creates a unique musical world, and has appeared in some of the most distinguished venues worldwide, including Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Taiwan National Theater and more.

Being one of the most in demand tango pianists and composers in the US, he directed numerous tango shows including Tango Fire, Forever Tango, Tango Connection, Tango Lovers, Tango Noir and Tango Casenave. He performs and collaborates with today’s most prominent tango artists that belonged to some of the most iconic tango orchestras and ensembles: Astor Piazzolla’s group, Osvaldo Pugliese’s Orchestra and Anibal Troilo’s orchestra including: Hector Del Curto, Victor Lavallen, Jose “Pepe” Colangelo, Julio Pane and Horacio Cabarcos among others.

As an educator, he is a former Jazz Department Director at the Harbor Conservatory (NYC) and has taught and given master classes at some of the most distinguished conservatories and universities including: The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Columbia University, Yale, Harvard, Curtis and Oberlin Conservatory. He also received commissions from the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic (2001), and from Yo-Yo Ma (2011).

Casenave has been a Steinway Artist since 2014.

Pablo Ziegler official site

For decades, Buenos Aires-born, Latin Grammy-winning pianist, composer and arranger Pablo Ziegler has been one of the most important figures in Argentine New Tango, the vibrant musical hybrid of classic tango and American jazz. Mark Swed of The Los Angeles Times writes, “He is cool, understated and makes everything look easy and natural… Just as a really suave tango dancer seems not to move with feet but on wheels, Ziegler skates the keyboard.” After performing in tango grand-maestro Astor Piazzolla’s legendary quintet for over a decade, and appearing on iconic Piazzolla recordings including Tango: Zero Hour, La Camorra and Central Park Concert, Ziegler has led his own groups for over 20 years, refining and reimagining the bounds of the tango tradition. Touring throughout the world with his trio, quartet and quintet, recent seasons have seen Ziegler performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Chautauqua Institute, the San Francisco Jazz Festival, and the Laguna Beach Music Festival. He has been featured as guest soloist with major orchestras around the world, playing his own compositions as well as the music of Piazzolla with the Presidential Orchestra of Turkey, the Tokyo Chamber Orchestra, and Jazz Sinfonica Orchestra in São Paolo, Brazil. Ziegler’s most recent recording, 2013’s critically acclaimed Amsterdam Meets New Tango, sees his quartet paired with the Netherlands’ Metropole Orkest. In 2011, Ziegler’s work as music director, arranger and pianist for bass-baritone opera star Erwin Schrott earned an Echo Klassik Award for the album Rojotango. Ziegler’s 2005 release, Bajo Cero, won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tango Album, and in 2008, his album Buenos Aires Report made the final list of nominees for the same honor.

Photo Credit: Shigeto Imura