Pablo Ziegler, piano
Julio Botti, flute
Ivan Barenboim, clarinet
Edward Burns, bassoon
Machiko Ozawa, violin I
Lynn Bechtold, violin II
Alexander Gurevitch, viola
Jisoo Ok, cello
Héctor Del Curto, bandoneón
Pedro Giraudo, double bass
Franco Pinna, drums

Pablo Ziegler, the master of Argentine Nuevo Tango music, who has dazzled Europe, Japan, Canada, Amsterdam, and Turkey with his sultry mix of tango and jazz performances, joins us for this concert appearance. This exciting evening with Ziegler at the piano and musicians on bandoneóon, percussion, strings, and more, features classical renditions of works from Ziegler’s eight stellar recordings.

Performance playlist:

Carlos Gardel       Soledad
                                  Ziegler
Ástor Piazzolla     Michelangelo
                                  Ziegler, Del Curto
Pablo Ziegler         Alrededor del Choclo
Pablo Ziegler         La Fundición
                                  Ziegler, Ok, Del Curto
Pablo Ziegler         La Rayuela
Pablo Ziegler         Bajo Cero
                                  Ziegler, Ok, Del Curto, Giraudo
Pablo Ziegler         Muchacha de Boedo
Ástor Piazzolla      Libertango
                                   Ziegler, Ok, Del Curto, Giraudo, Ozawa
—Intermission—

Pablo Ziegler          Elegante Canyenguito
                                   Ziegler
Pablo Ziegler          Milonga del Adios
                                   Ziegler, Ok
Pablo Ziegler          Buenos Aires Report
Ástor Piazzolla       Chin Chin
                                    Ziegler, Ok, Del Curto, Giraudo
Pablo Ziegler           Places
                                    Ziegler, Ok, Del Curto, Giraudo, Ozawa
Pablo Ziegler           Asfalto
Juan Carlos Cobián        Nostalgias
Pablo Ziegler                    Milonga en el Viento
Ástor Piazzolla                 Fuga y Misterio
                                              Ziegler, Botti, Barenboim, Burns,
                                              Del Curto, Ozawa, Bechtold, Gurevich,
                                              Ok, Giraudo, Pinna

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Latin GRAMMY winning pianist Pablo Ziegler artfully blends classic tango rhythms with jazz improvisations, adding a new voice to the tango lexicon. Howard Reich of The Chicago Times writes, “There’s no question that Ziegler takes the tango to levels of sophistication and refinement probably undreamed of by Piazzolla,” and Eric Salzman of Stereo Review, writing of Ziegler’s CD, Tango Romance, affirmed that the CD “solidifies his claim to be the outstanding representative of the nuevo tango in his generation.” In addition to this critical acclaim, Ziegler’s 2005 release Bajo Cero won the 2005 Latin Grammy Award for Best Tango Album of the Year and in 2008, his album Buenos Aires Report made the final list of nominees for the same honor.
In 1978, Mr. Ziegler was invited to join Astor Piazzolla’s New Tango Quintet, and for over the next ten years, he performed with this group throughout Europe, Japan and North America, at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Nice Jazz Festival, Sapporo Jazz Festival, Central Park SummerStage, and the Istanbul Festival, among many others.
Pablo Ziegler formed his own Quartet for New Tango in 1990 and has been touring extensively throughout the world with his trio, quartet, and quintet. Performances in recent seasons have included Carnegie Hall (as part of the JVC Jazz Festival with guest artists Paquito D’Rivera, Joe Lovano and Gary Burton), Savannah Music Festival, Blue Note, UCLA, University of Texas-Austin, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Ravinia Festival, International Festival of Arts & Ideas with pianist Christopher O’Riley in the duo Los Tangueros, New World Symphony in Miami, New York’s Knitting Factory with Emanuel Ax, Cape May Music Festival, and the San Francisco Jazz Festival among many others. Ziegler’s quintet has also been performing annually at the Jazz Standard in NYC since 2002 in the Tango Meets Jazz series produced by Pat Philips, with guest artists including Paquito D’Rivera, Stefon Harris, David Sanchez, Randy Brecker, and Kenny Garrett. Important international engagements have included the Umbria Jazz Festival, Lapataia Jazz Festival (Uruguay), and the Verbier Festival (Switzerland), as well as performances throughout Europe. He also performed at the Piano 2003 Festival in Manchester, UK, and has done 16 European tours to date.
Ivan Barenboim, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is an accomplished clarinetist and recorder player. He has played throughout Argentina, Europe, and the United States in different venues and festivals. His music has been performed at the Teatro National Cervantes in Buenas Aires, and at Sala Beckett and the GREC Festival de
Barcelona. Ivan lives in New York and has been Artist in Residence at Central Synagogue since 2007 and part time faculty at Hebrew Union College since 2008. Last year he performed with Joan Baez at Avery Fisher Hall as part of the Mercedes Sosa Tribute.
Violinist Lynn Bechtold has appeared in recital throughout the U.S., Canada, Holland, and Switzerland, and has premiered works by and/or collaborated with composers such as Gloria Coates, George Crumb, John Harbison, Alvin Lucier, and Morton Subotnick. As a member of groups including the Grammy-nominated East Village Opera Company band, Lumina String Quartet, SEM Ensemble, Zentripetal, and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, Ms. Bechtold has performed around the world, and has been heard on CBC Radio, CBS-TV, NHK-TV, and WNYC. Other programs have been with Absolute Ensemble, Parsons Dance, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Vision Into Art. In addition, she’s performed with artists such as Boyz II Men, Sheryl Crow, Roberta Flack, J-Pop band SMAP, Smokey Robinson, and Donna Summer. She has appeared at diverse venues such as Alice Tully Hall, the Blue Note, Frick Museum, Galapagos, Harvard Club, Joe’s Pub, Joyce Theatre, Merkin Hall, St. John the Divine, and Zankel Hall. Ms. Bechtold holds degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music, Tufts University, and the Mannes College of Music, where she was one of the last students of noted violinist Felix Galimir.
Flutist Julio Botti was born in Bell Ville, Argentina. He has been an active member of the New York City Latin jazz scene for over 12 years. During this time he has also been playing and teaching in Europe and South America. Since 2000, Mr. Botti has performed with Nicola Di Bari, Duo Pimpinela, Alberto Cortez, Claudia de Colombia, Millie Quezada, Chayanne, Ricardo Montaner, the group Sal Rumba, and on some occasions as a support for Carlos Santana. In 2003, Julio Botti moved to Madrid and created the jazz quartet Zafari Project which was selected for the music tours “Injuve” of the Madrid community. Most recently he has been dedicating his time to New York City public schools as a woodwind teacher while recording his upcoming album which emphasizes saxophone in the new tango genre.
Bassoonist Edward Burns, originally from Santa Rosa, California, is a resident of New York City and performs regularly throughout the U.S., Japan, and Europe with groups such as Seattle Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Knights Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Opera, Charleston Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Princeton Symphony, New Haven Symphony, New York Symphonic Ensemble, and is a founding member and principal bassoonist of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas. Recent engagements have included performing the Mignone
Concertino with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, playing with the Knights Chamber Orchestra in collaboration with Dawn Upshaw at the Dresden Musikfestspiele, and recording Brahms’ Second Symphony with the Seattle Symphony. Mr. Burns earned his B.M. at the Manhattan School of Music in 2002 with Frank Morelli and his M.M. from the Juilliard School in 2004 with Whitney Crockett.
Praised by the New York Times as a “splendid player,” Argentinean bandoneonist 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 Ástor Piazzolla and Osvaldo Pugliese, pianist Pablo Ziegler, clarinetist Paquito D´Rivera, ballet dancer Julio Bocca, National Symphony Orchestra, Buenos Aires Symphony Orchestra, and Teatro Colón Ballet. After a Carnegie Hall concert in 1999 with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, 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. As conductor, he directed the spectacular show Forever Tango on Broadway and founded the Eternal Tango Orchestra.
Originally from Córdoba Argentina, bassist 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. Giraudo has collaborated with Paquito D’Rivera, Ruben Blades, Pablo Ziegler, and William Cepeda. He has performed in venues such as The Blue Note (Japan & USA), Birdland (Austria), London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Jazz Festival Royale in Thailand, The Kennedy Center (Washington DC), and Iridium, Jazz Standard, Blue Note, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall (NYC). As a composer and arranger, Giraudo leads his 13-piece ensemble, the Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra, and has been hailed by critics as one of the most creative and daring bandleaders on the scene today. His discography includes Destiny of Flowers, Mr Vivo, Desconsuelo, and the most recent, El Viaje which was voted “Best Latin Jazz Album Of The Year,” “Best Latin Jazz Large Ensemble Album Of The Year,” and “Best Latin Jazz Composition” for Giraudo’s “El Bajonazo” by Latin Jazz Corner.
Born in Kiev, Ukraine, violist Alexander Gurevitch moved to the United States with his family in March of 1991. After completing his education at Manhattan School of Music in New York, Gurevich moved
to California to continue his studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara and University of Southern California. During the next ten years Alexander performed in the viola sections of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Florida Philharmonic, New World Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony. Some of his chamber music experiences include performances at the Umbria Segreta Concerts at Spoleto, Italy; the inaugural French-American quartet festival with USC and the Paris Conservatory at Chateau de la Bretesche, Missillac, France; as well as being a finalist at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition. Alexander performed at Kneisel Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, and the Schlezwig-Holstein Music Festivals. His principal teachers in the United States were Donald McInnes, Heijchiro Ohyama, Daniel Avshalomov, and Albert Markov. Alexander enjoys an active freelance and teaching career in the New York City, were he currently resides with his wife and musical partner violinist Gulia Gurevich.
A versatile cellist, Jisoo Ok has performed throughout North and South America, Europe, Korea, and New Zealand as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. Ms. Ok has appeared in venues and festivals such as Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Caramoor Music Festival, Golandsky Institute International Piano Festival at Princeton University, Ibero-American Festival of the Arts in Puerto Rico, and Spoleto Festival in Italy. Since graduating from The Juilliard School in 2006, Ms. Ok has been deeply committed to the music of tango. She has closely collaborated with renowned tango musicians such as Pablo Ziegler and Héctor Del Curto. In 2003, Ms. Ok was the winner of the New Juilliard Ensemble’s Concerto Competition which led to the performance of Jonathan Keren’s Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall. She also premiered Matthew Kajcienski’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra with the Manhattan Virtuosi Orchestra at the Great Hall of Cooper Union in New York City.
Violinist Machiko Ozawa, the former concertmaster of Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa de Las Artes, gave her debut recital at the Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in 2002 as a winner of the Artists International Competition. As a soloist, she has performed with C.W. Post Chamber Orchestra, Henry Mancini Festival Orchestra, North Shore Symphony Orchestra, and Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa de Las Artes. She commissioned and premiered her original concerto Syrenes for violin, percussion and orchestra, with the North Shore Symphony Orchestra in 2004 and performed Morton Gould’s Tap Concerto as a tap dancer soloist in 2007. She was a finalist for the New York International Tango Competition in 2004 as a member of M2duo. Although trained classically in the Juilliard School, Guildhall Music School, and Tokyo
National School (Tokyo Gei Dai), she now extends her musical range to a variety of styles including jazz, tango, improvisation, world music, and dancing/acting. She was chosen as one of the main cast members with the award winning musical, AMOR LATINO at Thalia Theatre in 2009 as a tapdancer/violinist. She created her own style of performance called tapdanceviolin. Recently she extended her music world into Argentine tango and has performed with Pablo Ziegler, Héctor Del Curto, Fernando Otero, Octavio Brunetti, Polly Ferman, and Pedro Giraudo at NYC’s major venues such as Blue Note, Jazz Standard, Winter Garden at the Financial Center, Joe’s Pub, Highline Ballroom, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Merkin Concert Hall.
Drummer Franco Pinna started his musical career in 1988 in Tucuman, Argentina where he performed and recorded with some of the most distinguished musicians of the country, such as Raul Carnota, Lucho Hoyos, Leopoldo Deza, and Popi Quintero. In 1998 Franco moved to Boston to enter the Berklee College of Music where he obtained the “Outstanding Musicianship” scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2000 under the Professional Music Diploma program. Pinna has performed and recorded a wide variety of rhythms with many artists such as Marta Gomez, Fernando Huergo, Lucia Pulido, Claudia Acuna, Pablo Ziegler, Idan Raichel, Raul Midon, Osvaldo Golijov, Pablo Mayor, Daniele Camarda , Danilo Perez, Vardan Ovsepian, Bruce Barth, Oscar Stagnaro,Chris Cheek, Jeff Ballard, Bonie Raitt, among many others. As a sideman, Franco has recorded more than 50 CDs.