The Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet &Argentine Tango Dance Class

The Department of Music presents a concert of the Latin Grammy Award winning Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet. Widely acknowledged as one of the most compelling tango ensembles today, the quartet represents the evolution of tango, from its roots in the traditional Orquesta típica, to tango nuevo as epitomized by Astor Piazzolla, and now to a contemporary sound that respects the past and looks to the future. The quartet’s fervent and virtuosic musical style organically combines elements from Argentine tango, European classical music, and American jazz, bringing something new and exciting to the form while retaining all the lushness and beauty that characterizes the genre.

Immediately following their performance, master tango dancers Aja Fenn and Masha Abapolnikova of Fábrica Tango will present a class on Argentine Tango at 8:30 p.m. This workshop will accommodate both solo dancers and partners who live together. Participants will not be asked to dance with someone they are not familiar with. Soft-soled shoes or socks are mandatory for participation in this event. 

Biographies: 

As bassist, composer and arranger, Pedro Giraudo’s biography includes two decades performing with the most important interpreters of tango. Among the many noteworthy events in his career, he recorded bass on Ruben Blades’ CD “Tangos”, which won a Grammy and a Latin Grammy. He has also performed with Paquito D’Rivera, Pablo Ziegler, Hector Del Curto, and Luis Bravo’s “Forever Tango”.

The other members of the quartet are three of the most prominent musicians in the tango world: Nick Danielson (violin) is Assistant Concertmaster of the NYC Ballet Orchestra and enjoys a distinguished career in both the classical and tango worlds; Rodolfo Zanetti (bandoneón) is recognized as one of the most distinguished solo bandoneonists in the United States, performing at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center; Ahmed Alom (piano) has been considered a prodigy since the age of 14, winning numerous international prizes in piano competitions, and now living in New York, where he continues to garner acclaim.

Renowned tango dancers Aja Fenn and Masha Abapolnikova of Fábrica Tango present a socially distanced Argentine Tango Dance Workshop. Masha and Aja have been serving the Washington metropolitan area and the global tango community as teachers, performers and event organizers for conjointly 20 years. They have run popular milongas, brought high quality instructors to town, worked with musicians, built a non-profit, trained new teachers, appeared in documentaries and theater productions, and taught hundreds of people how to dance tango! Their student base spans the full spectrum from beginner to teachers-in-training. During their time in the non-profit sector they served populations such as veterans, seniors, kids and the LGBTQ+ community. Masha and Aja met in 2010. Their combined vision, skills and creativity have been explosive ever since.

This residency is made possible by the support of the Center for Innovation, Research, and Creativity in the Arts (CIRCA), the Department of Dance at UMBC, Dresher Center for the Humanities, Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics & Intercultural Communication, and the Latinx and Hispanic Faculty Association.