under honourable patronage of Consul General of the Republic of Poland
proudly announces an absolute sensation!
Internationally renowned and critically acclaimed, Juno nominated,
Artist of the Year,
Quartango ensemble – in concert
“Body and Soul Tango Passion”
to perform at Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto on October 20, 2009 at 7:30 pm. as part of the 3rd Annual Concert for Epilepsy.
Kelly-Anne Reiss for the “Regina Leader-Post”
A feast of sight and sound! When Quartango teams up with Argentine tango dancers, Roxana and Fabian Belmonte, audiences are spellbound by the intricate, sensual dance steps and the spirited music. Their vast repertoire – impeccable, full of energetic tango arrangements that draw on classical works, jazz standards, Celtic melodies and popular tunes – provides the setting for Roxana and Fabian’s terpsichorean pyrotechnics and Margaret Maye’s lush mezzo-soprano singing. Dancers, singer and musicians share their passion for the tango in an exceptional performance in which melody, voice and movement are in perfect harmony.
Comprised of four highly accomplished, classically trained musicians, bound by their shared fascination for the tango, Quartango evokes deep emotions with virtuosity, musicality, elegance, sensuality and humour. Renowned for its performances with many important North American symphony orchestras, Quartango has charmed critics and audiences at major festivals and concert stages domestically and around the globe.
Quartango takes tango in new directions and offers a performance filled with subtle nuances and a blend of colours that reflects both the classics and modernity and the effervescence of the milonga. Quartango sheds new light on tango music, infuses it with a fascinating mixture of pathos and heat, elevating it to an international level. The chemistry between the musicians, their engaging rapport and close connection with the audience create a memorable experience that always brings down the house. Radio-Canada and the CBC have broadcast many Quartango concerts and appearances. The group has recorded six CDs under the Justin Time label that have been acclaimed and awarded for their quality and originality.
“Body and Soul Tango Passion” brings an exquisite collection of musical gems to Toronto, including Jalousie, Milonga, Oblivion, Por una cabeza; Classic Tango, Tango Nuevo; music by Piazzolla, Gardel, Petersburski and others.
Quartango, Roxana and Fabian Belmonte, and Margaret Maye – are going to perform for Toronto audiences on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009, at 7:30 pm at the Jane Mallett Theatre at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front Street East. Concert benefits University of Toronto Epilepsy Research Program.
Information & tickets call: (647) 892 7799. Tickets are also available: online at www.stlc.com; by calling theatre: 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754; in person at the STLC, 27 Front Street East, Toronto; Polimex: 416.537.3496, Roncesvalles, Toronto; Husarz: 905.277.5171; Plaza Chopin, Mississauga; Pegaz, Plaza Wisła, Mississauga; Starski, Mississauga; Starski, Oakville ***
ACCLAIMED EXCELLENCE Quartango’s awards include three Opus Awards, notably 2007/2008 Artist of the Year, a Félix Award and a Juno nomination.
PERFORMANCE TOUR Quartango has performed across Canada and United States, as well as in Tokyo, Taipei, Paris, Ankara and São Paulo. They stole the show at Carnegie Hall, New York in performance with the New York Pops, and have also appeared with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Orchestre métropolitain. This past summer, Quartango performed four outdoor concerts with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, attracting a total of more than 60,000 spectators. More recently, they performed in Guatemala and with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Maestro JoAnn Faletta.
PRESS REVIEWS
To see where Tango Nuevo can grow after Piazzolla, listen to Quartango. They are very fluid and playful with their tango, and steal bits from jazz and classical throughout. You can tell that they are really enjoying themselves as they play!
Quartango… What a musical pleasure to observe you, to listen to you and to realize the depth of musical preparation in your presentation… My personal musical thanks, and I look forward to being with you once again.
Skitch Henderson, founder and music director, New York Pops
“It was dramatic. It was elegant. It was everything that tango music should be. Richard Hunt’s arrangements are speckled with humour, which kept this concert light”
Kelly-Anne Riess, PressDisplay.com – Leader-Post, Regina, Canada
“Accompanied by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, a precious 18-year-old vocalist and an agile pair of tango dancers, Quartango is internationally renowned for taking this late-19th-century Latin musical form in surprising new directions. With elegantly flawless arrangements full of sensuality and wry humor, this group of classically trained musicians infuses the tango with a fascinating mixture of pathos and heat. The story these four musicians tell on Astor Piazzolla’s “Adio Nonino” is breathtaking. The violin and bandoneon are like plaintive lovers, with the piano narrating the scene as the double bass wickedly plays the devil’s advocate. I swear it’s palpable.”
Harold McNeil, The Buffalo News, United States
“(…) the energy of regret built to a climax in which bass player Gosselin abandoned his pizzicato, drum-like accompaniment to pick up his bow and make his instrument sing like a cello.”
Stephen Pedersen, Halifax Herald, Canada
An enthusiastic audience made no move to leave or to resume their seats following a lengthy ovation at the close of the second half. And after a minute or two, Quartango returned to the stage, along with the dancers, for an encore piece.
Jaci Webb, The Gazette Staff, United States
Quartango’s BIO
When four classically trained musicians explore their passion for the tango, the result is nothing short of delightful. Quartango takes tango in new directions, with impeccable arrangements, unexpected allusions to classical music and a dose of humour, woven together by the elegant interplay of ensemble playing at its best. The chemistry between the musicians and their engaging rapport with the audience create a memorable experience that always brings down the house. Quartango is Richard Hunt, piano and arrangements; Douglas Schmidt, bandoneon; René Gosselin, double bass; and Charles-Étienne Marchand, violin. Together, they offer a repertoire ranging from the classic tangos to tango nuevo and Piazzolla. They also explore other genres, from jazz and opera to waltzes and jigs, in their own inimitable style. Quartango has charmed audiences across Canada and the United States, and in Tokyo, Taipei, Paris and São Paulo. They stole the show at Carnegie Hall, in performance with the New York Pops, and have also appeared with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Orchestre métropolitain. This past summer, Quartango performed four outdoor concerts with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, attracting a total of more than 60,000 spectators. Quartango has recorded five CDs under the Justin Time label, several of which have been honoured with awards. Their latest recording, Performance, was released in June 2003. What the media says… “This group infuses tango with a fascinating mixture of pathos and heat (concert with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)” – Buffalo News, USA Quartango
Virtuosity, musicality, elegance, sensuality and humor: Quartango’s music evokes deep emotions … even after 25 years!
Comprising four highly accomplished musicians, bound by their shared passion for the tango and driven by an unceasing desire to make a close connection with their audience, Quartango offers a performance filled with subtle nuances and a blend of colors that reflects both the classics and modernity and the effervescence of the milonga.
Acclaimed excellence Quartango’s awards include three Opus Awards from the Conseil québécois de la musique, notably 2007/2008 Artist of the Year, a Félix Award and a Juno nomination. The ensemble also continues to delight critics and audiences alike: “The Montreal group heated things up with a concert that was nothing short of brilliant. It was dramatic. It was elegant. It was everything tango music should be,” wrote Kelly-Anne Reiss for the Regina Leader-Post following a concert. Quartango has performed all over Canada as well as on the international stage, from Ankara, Turkey, and Tokyo to Taipei, Paris and New York, where they shared the stage at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. More recently, they performed in Guatemala and with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Maestro JoAnn Faletta. “With elegantly flawless arrangements full of sensuality and wry humor, this group of classically trained musicians infuses the tango with a fascinating mixture of pathos and heat … The story these four musicians tell on Astor Piazzolla’s Adios Nonino is breathtaking. The violin and bandoneon are like plaintive lovers, with the piano narrating the scene as the double bass wickedly plays the devil’s advocate. I swear it’s palpable,” said Harold McNeil, news staff reviewer for The Buffalo News.
Quartango has recorded six CDs on the Justin Time label that have been acclaimed for their quality and originality. Their most recent disc, El Fuego, will be available in September 2009 and will also mark the group’s 25th anniversary. Radio-Canada and the CBC have broadcast many Quartango concerts and the group also appeared on the CBC Television program Opening Night. As well, Quartango appeared in and provided original music for the soundtrack of the film Macadam Tango, which aired on Radio-Canada television and TV5.
Invited by major orchestras and festivals Renowned for its performances with many important North American symphony orchestras, including Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Regina Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre Métropolitain, Quartango also wowed the critics at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, the Orford Festival and the Festival international de Lanaudière. In the summer of 2008, over the course of three concerts with the OSM, the quartet won the hearts of some 40,000 people with their contagious charm.
A rich and innovative repertoire Quartango’s vast repertoire is characterized by refined musical arrangements, full of energy, the majority of which are the creations of pianist Richard Hunt (who has also composed some 20 original works for the group). While these arrangements explore Astor Piazzolla’s tango nuevo, they also include hints of the classics, jazz and Celtic music that are as subtle as they are unexpected. Quartango sheds new light on the music of the tango, elevating it to an international level.
Roxana and Fabian Belmonte Bio
Roxana and Fabian Belmonte – were both born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, birthplace of the tango itself. From a very tender age, they were raised breathing in the tango culture, their hearts beating to the rhythms of the tango.
They are more than a couple when dancing, they transform themselves into one being, expressing desire, passion, love and sadness. Their performance has been enthusiastically embraced by audiences the world over, critics hailing them as ambassadors of the Argentine Tango.
Remarkable artists as they are, over the past twenty years they have performed and taught in the United States, Canada, Uruguay, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Europe and Argentina, in their native Buenos Aires appearing in such fabled dance halls as Palais De Glace, Astral Theatre, La Confiteria Del Molino, Club Almagro, Glorias Argentinas, Negracha, Esquina Anibal Troilo, the prestigious tango bar “Esquina Homero Manzi”, and HYPERLINK “http://www.tangodeoro.com/newsletter/lunapark/home.htm” \t “_blank” the city’s biggest stadium.
Perhaps Argentina’s best tango dancers, they were chosen to judge the First, Second and Fourth World Tango Competition in Japan, Tokyo, ‘05, ‘06 and ‘08. They performed at the “Tango Libertad” show in Tokyo, among such selected tango dancers as Miguel A. Zotto.
One of the most important recognitions they have received to date, took place at the prestigious Roy Thompson Hall Theatre in Toronto, where they won the “2003 Latin American Achievement Award” for “Best Latin Folklore Presence in Canada.”
Roxana and Fabian have performed as dancers in the film “The Tuxedo,” a Steven Spielberg’s Dreamworks ‘02 prodauction, starring Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt, directed by Kevin Donovan. They were the winners of the International Dance Contest, “Stars of the Future 1998,” produced by the biggest Spanish TV show in USA, Miami: “Sabado Gigante.”
Famous soccer player Diego Maradona engaged the couple to perform on various occasions, such as a private party in Buenos Aires in January 1998, and another one in Toronto in 1997. They were also invited to perform at a private reception for Mr. Adolfo Rodriguez Saa, Argentina’s leading presidential candidate in 2003 elections.
Among their outstanding productions must be named:
“Gold Tango Show 2000,” featuring guest artist Ruben Juarez, chosen by “El Popular” as the best “Latin Show in Canada 2000,” and “Gold Tango Show 2001,” featuring guest artist Jorge Valdez. Roxana and Fabian were chosen by the highly respected Hispanic Canadian Newspaper “El Popular” as the “Best Latin Artists 1998” and “Best National and International Trajectory.”
They have received remarkable reviews in the “Clarin”, Argentina’s daily with the highest circulation.
They were engaged as choreographers and dancers for the production of two musical videos with Canadian singers:
October 2000 singer Amy Sky, song “Phenomenal Woman,” album “Phenomenal Woman,” and October 1999 singer Jazmine, song “Don’t Push,” album “Better Be Good,” director Stephen Scott.
Music label Melopea has Roxana and Fabian’s photo reproduced on the CD front cover of an Argentine tango collection. The label’s last release, interpreted by Walter Rios orchestra, can be heard and purchased online.
Roxana and Fabian’s ability to please audiences is the result of their extraordinary dedication to this most sensual and sophisticated of dances. Thanks to their accomplishment, they are in high demand as teachers and performers, sharing their art and delighting audiences worldwide.