First Yerevan Tango Festival to open October 30

October 18, 2010 - 15:25 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The First Yerevan Tango Festival will open on October 30, 2010, with a concert to be performed by accordionist Richard Galliano and Cadence Ensemble.

As general manager of Cadence music center Nika Babayan told PanARMENIAN.Net the festival which includes 5 concerts with participation of famous foreign guests will close on June 30, 2011.

The Cadence Ensemble was formed in February 2004 by five outstanding Armenian instrumentalists under leadership of pianist Armen Babakhanian, initially to perform the works of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992). The Ensemble’s premier concert took place in April 2004, followed by several others that attracted the attention of fans and promoters. The Cadence Ensemble at once became one of the leading and most popular music groups of Armenia. Soon the ensemble expanded its repertoire to include masterpieces of classical and contemporary European, American, Russian and Armenian composers – while maintaining and affinity for Piazzolla. Arrangements of many famous works, including classical, world music and pop are now included in the ensemble’s musical menu. Also included are specially composed pieces dedicated to the Ensemble and its members.

Accordionist and composer Richard Galliano, born in France in 1950, began playing accordion at a young age. He later picked up the trombone, and studied composition at the Academy in Nice; he also fell in love with jazz as a teenager, particularly cool-era Miles Davis and Clifford Brown, and made it his primary focus by the late '60s. Making a living as a jazz accordionist naturally proved difficult; fortunately, after moving to Paris in 1973, he landed a position as conductor, arranger, and composer for Claude Nougaro's orchestra. He remained there until 1976, and went on to work with numerous American and European jazz luminaries, including Chet Baker, Joe Zawinul, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Michel Petrucciani, and Jan Garbarek.