QuinTango
The Performers
Your pulse goes all over the map. From QuinTango’s opening musical phrase, audience attention zooms to full strength. “Warming up” an audience is never an issue. In fact, it may be more an issue of "cooling" them off” as the evening progresses. By the time the guest dancers enter, you may need to be passing out little fans or towels row by row.
QuinTango is a Washington, DC chamber ensemble (two violins, cello, bass and piano) whose fiery music and sensual championship dancers deliver enough heat to peel the varnish off your floors. In quintet performance or with symphony, QuinTango delivers a performance of ultimate artistry and passion. It is classical music that induces heavy breathing. It's popular entertainment tethered in elegant style and grace. It is virtuosic chamber music that requires one to lower the thermostat. There's nothing like the tango.
In the words of the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, "Tonight, QuinTango, you conquered Buenos Aires." On the domestic front, QuinTango continues to conquer home-grown audiences with their unique approach and masterful, exquisite performance. Like jazz and blues, tango speaks of heartbreak, humor, yearning and romance in dazzlingly diverse styles. QuinTango's distinctive sound is shaped by arrangements created by some of the greatest tango masters in Buenos Aires. A typical QuinTango concert includes 14-18 tangos interspersed with engaging narratives, anecdotes, video and dance. Concert patrons follow tango's journey from the immigrant neighborhoods along the Rio de la Plata to the gilded salons of Paris and finally to the international concert stage.
With the accompanying championship tango dancers an added option for presenters, QuinTango offers a substantive menu of themed concert programs, plus truly exceptional outreach events designed for students K-12 through university — and even tango classes for audiences. The group’s newest residency – which blends soccer & tango – is proving a winning combination for educators and their students.
Be warned: By the time QuinTango has completed their visit, half the town may have left for Argentina.
In a Word…
"One of Washington's finest instrumental ensembles." - The Washington Post
"Haunting melody, rhythm that makes every part of your anatomy move, a feeling of warmth and enthusiasm … downright wonderful." - Charleston Post and Courier
"Dramatic power, sublime lyricism, playfulness and vitality..." - The Washington Post
A Presenter's Point of View
“Last week, we had a fabulous performance by Washington DC’s acclaimed QuinTango—a string quintet accompanied by Argentinean dancers and a bandoneon player. Not only were the three “extras” blowing people away, but the group’s founder, Joan Singer, is a real entertainer who is passionate about all things Buenos Aires. She really makes the show come alive. My TD, who has been here for 19 years, said afterwards ‘I think those are the nicest people I’ve ever worked with.’
“The best part was having a Milonga class up on stage immediately following the performance, yes, at 10 pm! People came from all over Western North Carolina to work with the dancers and to network. We may start offering Tango lessons right here in tiny Tryon! Think outside the box and treat your audiences to a low-cost trip to South America they won’t soon forget.”
Beth Child, Executive Director
Tryon Fine Arts Center, Tryon, NC