TANGO IN THE NIGHT

EVENT DESCRIPTION

City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK) celebrates 25 years with an exhilarating night of sensually charged tango music. From 8:00pm – the magic hours for tango – audiences will be swept off their feet as the Binelli-Ferman Duo on bandoneon and piano, and tango dancers Claudio Hoffman and Cinzia Lombardi join CCOHK for a heady mix of tango nuevo and nostalgic tangos from the golden era. Conducted by Vahan Mardirossian, this must-hear, must-see programme, evokes the romance of nightlife in Buenos Aires.

The programme spanning more than a century of music, starts with Villoldo’s El Choclo, a happy and rousing tango from the early 1900s, the era known as The Old Guard (La Guardia Vieja). From the 1920s and 1930s, CCOHK will play the nostalgic film hit Por Una Cabeza by the legendary tango hero Carlos Gardel and Aieta’s Palomita Blanca, a romantic waltz.

The programme then transports us to the 1940s and the Golden Era of tango when dancing to the big-time orchestras of Troilo and Pugliese became extremely popular. Iconic numbers featured from this era include Troilo’s Responso and Pugliese’s breathtaking classic La Yumba.

The evening will then climax with the jazz and classical influenced sounds of the great Astor Piazzolla, whose Tango Nuevo from the 1960s to 1980s is more popular today than ever. Major hits to be performed include Libertango, Oblivion, Verano Porteño and Buenos Aires Hora Cero, Piazzolla’s musical depiction of the hour after midnight described as ‘the absolute end and absolute beginning.

CCOHK will also give a rendition of Piazzolla’s Escualo, a rhythmically compelling tango inspired by shark fishing. Virtuoso bandoneónist Daniel Binelli, the torchbearer of Piazzolla, takes the spotlight as both performer and composer, his alluring Tango in the Night composition inspiring the title of the evening. CCOHK will also perform works composed for the screen including Preisner’s Three Colours White: Tango.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK) holds a unique position as one of Asia’s leading chamber orchestras. Members are professional musicians experienced in playing a diverse range of music styles and genres including Baroque, Classical, Contemporary, East/West Crossover, Tango, Jazz, Cinema and Orchestra Theatre.

Established since 1999, CCOHK has performed with many world-class artists including Sir James Galway, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Dame Emma Kirkby, Sir Thomas Allen, Sir Neville Marriner, Michala Petri, Christian Lindberg, Sarah Chang, Philippe Entremont, Julian Lloyd Webber, Edgar Meyer, Branford Marsalis, Richard Galliano, Sharon Isbin and Dawn Upshaw. Additional highlights include concerts with the Vienna Boys’ Choir, The American Boychoir, the Warsaw Boys Choir, the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir, the King’s Singers and the Swingle Singers. On tour CCOHK has been invited to perform in Italy, Taipei, Beijing, Chengdu and at the 20th China Shanghai International Arts Festival. In Hong Kong, CCOHK’s engagements have included Hong Kong Ballet, French May Arts Festival, RTHK Radio 4’s televised Christmas Concerts in the Park, the World Harp Congress and The Hong Kong International Piano Competition. The orchestra’s CDs include world premiere recordings on four internationally acclaimed releases on the NAXOS, Orchid Classics, Forgotten Records and OUR Recordings labels.