Brussels - To mark Argentine Culture Week in Brussels, the Italian Cultural Institute (IIC), in collaboration with the Argentine Embassy and the "Giuseppe Martucci" Conservatory of Salerno, will host the concert "María de Buenos Aires – Tango Nuevo in Quintet" on September 14 at 7:00 PM. The project is curated by violinist Maestro Giovanni Barbato, Konzertmeister of the Da Vinci Orchestra in Basel and professor at the Salerno Conservatory, alongside Maestro Giuseppe Scigliano, one of Italy's most versatile classical accordionists and a master bandoneonist.
The performance features a reimagined version of María de Buenos Aires (1968), the iconic opera-tango composed by Astor Piazzolla with a libretto by Horacio Ferrer, a visionary masterpiece in which María embodies the sensuality and contradictions of the Argentine capital. The program centers on a selection of pieces from the 1968 opera, exploring the universe of Tango Nuevo through a unique chamber music ensemble consisting of a string quintet and a bandoneon, a meeting point between European classical traditions and the urban soul of Buenos Aires, performed by the Salerno Conservatory. These works are paired with celebrated compositions by Piazzolla that revolutionized tango language during the 20th century. Specially written arrangements by the two Italian Maestros highlight the timbral and dynamic potential of strings in dialogue with the bandoneón, alternating between counterpoint, intense lyricism, and rhythmic outbursts inspired by porteña milongas. Designed to evoke a powerful emotional and theatrical impact, the concert engages diverse audiences through a refined balance of tradition and innovation.