Tired of his ideas being rejected by the world of traditional tango, Astor Piazzolla decided he wanted to become a classical musician and traveled to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger in the 1950s. Although this Parisian experience didn’t turn out quite as Piazzolla expected, he successfully created an innovative modern tango project together with musicians from the Opéra de Paris; their album was called Sinfonia de Tango. However, Piazzolla was not satisfied with the project due to a lack of tango musicians who could perform as soloists alongside the orchestra, and he subsequently reframed the project, with tango soloists, in Buenos Aires. SONICO uses this “model” for our proposal: in this program, the members of SONICO perform as soloists with the support of a symphonic orchestra.
This tango orchestra program includes, for the first time together on stage, the music of the Orquesta de Cuerdas (Piazzolla) and the Agrupación de Tango Moderno (Rovira); the Agrupación de Tango Moderno was a highly influential formation formed in 1960, dedicated to tango music for listening, instead of dancing. The compositions will be adapted for a larger symphony orchestra by the composer Alejandro Schwarz. Schwarz is an experienced creator of symphonic tango programs, such as the 2008 BBC Concert Orchestra production under the direction of Charles Hazlewood which explored the world of Argentinean music in a symphonic framework. This 90-minute concert was broadcast by BBC Radio 3 in the series “Discovering Music”.
Premiere on 7th March 2026 at Henry Le Bœuf Hall – BOZAR Brussels
Sinfonía de Tango Playlist
This carefully curated program offers a balanced selection of compositions by Rovira and Piazzolla, creating a new symphonic repertoire for modern tango. The progression of the program reflects a journey from intimate string orchestrations to the grandeur of a full symphonic orchestra. This allows for a dynamic range of textures and formations, showcasing the expressive power of tango across varied orchestral setups.
1. Original Formation: String Orchestra + tango soloists
Instrumentation:
- Percussion: only for Miedo (glockenspieliel)
- Harp: only for Miedo
- Strings: 14 violins, 12 violas, 10 cellos, 8 double basses, 6 additional strings
Repertoire:
- Nostalgico (1963) by Julian Plaza, arranged by Eduardo Rovira (5:09)
- Contrapunteando (1963) by Eduardo Rovira (3:37)
- Patetico (1963) by Jorge Caldara, arranged by Eduardo Rovira (3:40)
- Sensiblero (1957) by Julian Plaza, arranged by Astor Piazzolla (4:12)
- Inspiración (1957) by Peregrino Paulos, arranged by Astor Piazzolla (4:07)
- Miedo (1957) by Elvino Vardaro, arranged by Astor Piazzolla (4:06)
2. Mozart Orchestra Formation + tango soloists
Instrumentation:
- Winds: 1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons
- Percussion: 1 percussionist (bass drum, güiro) – 1 percussionist (glockenspiel)
- Harp
- Strings: 14 violins, 12 violas, 10 cellos, 8 double basses, 6 additional strings
Repertoire:
- Baile de Etiqueta (1958) by Reynaldo Nichele, arranged by Eduardo Rovira (3:36)
- Sinfonia (1958) by Eduardo Rovira (3:47)
- Serial Dodecafonico (1961) by Eduardo Rovira (4:57)
- Tres Minutos con la Realidad (1957) by Astor Piazzolla (3:11)
- Melancólico Buenos Aires (1957) by Astor Piazzolla (4:13)
- Vanguardistas (1957) by José Bragato (3:28)
3. Symphonic Orchestra Formation + tango soloists
Instrumentation:
- Winds: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons
- Brass: 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba
- Percussion: Timpani + 2 percussionists
- Harp
- Strings: 14 violins, 12 violas, 10 cellos, 8 double basses, 6 additional strings
Repertoire:
- Febril (1958) by Osvaldo Manzi, arranged by Eduardo Rovira (3:39)
- Elegia para el Amigo Negro (1963) by Enrique Lanno, arranged by Eduardo Rovira (5:07)
- Lo Que Vendrá (1957) by Astor Piazzolla (3:18)
- Prepárense (1957) by Astor Piazzolla (3:08)
Lysandre Donoso – Bandoneon
Stephen Meyer – Violin
Ariel Eberstein – Double bass
Ivo De Greef – Piano
NN – Conductor
Brussels Philharmonic
a Production of EL ANTITANGO MANAGEMENT, Brussels Philharmonic, and BOZAR Brussels