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A Century of Tango, a musical journey through the evolution of tango, will be presented by Aotango at the Warkworth Town Hall on November 21.
Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotango features violinist Andrew Beer, pianist Somi Kim, double bassist Gordon Hill, jazz guitarist Sam Swindells and award-winning accordionist Grayson Masefield.
The concert will showcase favourites such as El Choclo, Por una Cabeza and La Cumparsita, as well as the revolutionary nuevo tango style works of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla.
All five members of Aotango have impressive musical pedigree.
Awarded Best Classical Artist at the 2020 NZ Music Awards, violinist Andrew Beer was described as a “musical gift” by the New York Times and a “virtuoso soloist” by the San Francisco Classical Voice. He has performed as a soloist in North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia, and with leading artists including Midori, the Parker String Quartet and Emerson String Quartet. He has served as concertmaster of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) since 2014.
South Korean-born New Zealand pianist Somi Kim is a winner of the Royal Over-Seas League Accompanist Prize and the Gerald Moore Award for Accompanists. She has an impressive career as a chamber musician and soloist, and performs extensively as the official pianist of NZTrio, and her recent solo appearances include concertos with the APO and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
Grayson Masefield has the distinction of being the first person to win world championships in classical, virtuoso and digital accordion categories. He has degrees from Lausanne and University of Auckland, where he is currently the instrumental music teacher for accordion.
APO principal bass Gordon Hill was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and started playing the bass at age 14. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and finished at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied with Edwin Barker and Larry Wolfe.
Jazz guitarist Sam Swindells is involved in many genre-spanning projects from 70s funk to rockabilly and jazz. He is the musical director and bandleader for Big Ticket, an eight-piece swing band with a long standing residency at Auckland Viaduct’s The Lula Inn.
He plays guitar for the internationally renowned rockabilly band Boom! Boom! Deluxe, who have released two albums and have done multiple nationwide tours. Swindells regularly performs with artists such as Caroline and Roger Manins, and Mike Walker. He teaches music at Kristen School where he runs the jazz combo programme.
The concert in Warkworth starts at 7.30pm.
Ticket Giveaway
Mahurangi Matters has a double pass to the Aotango concert to give away. To enter, email editor@localmatters.co.nz with Aotango in the subject line. Don’t forget to include a daytime contact number. Competition closes at midday on November 11.
