A leading exponent of the bandoneon, Joaquin Amenabar is a strong
advocate for the instrument, not only as the musical heart and soul of
the tango orchestra, but also as a concert instrument in its own right.
He is one of today's few living masters of the bandoneon who is equally
adept at playing baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary music as
well as tango and folkloric music, for which the instrument is better
known.
Joaquin Amenabar studied bandoneon with
Rodolfo Daluisio
at the
Manuel de Falla Municipal Conservatory
1 in Buenos Aires,
where he today holds an assistant professorship.
Currently a professor of bandoneon at the
School of Popular Music of Avellaneda
2
in Buenos Aires, Amenabar has
performed an extensive and varied repertoire in solo concerts. He has
participated in numerous European festivals, including those of
Concarneau, Ruffec, Chalus, Soyaux and Confolens in France, and Tarcento
and Goritizia in Italy. During the 2000 season, he made his North
American debut in the opening night concert of
Chicago's Ravinia Festival,
an homage to J.S. Bach. His performance was praised by the
Chicago Sun-Times for a profound richness and depth.
As the only pupil to be taught by the noted German tuner Jorge Weckesser
in Argentina, Amenabar has achieved an unusual mastery of the
instrument, including its tuning and repair as well as performance.
Dedicated to propagating an appreciation of the bandoneon, he has given
numerous seminars on its use for composers and instrumentalists and
taught courses on tango's musical form, history and evolution to both
dancers and tango aficionados. In addition to teaching master classes
for performers, he has made numerous transcriptions for the instrument
in both solo and chamber music settings. He has also devoted himself to
promoting native Argentine music, but always includes tango music in
his concerts.
Equally respected as a performer, teacher, lecturer, instrument
technician and tuner, Amenabar is indeed a master of our time. He is
also a gifted composer and arranger who is currently engaged in reviving
authentic tango performance practice by reconstructing long-lost scores
that were played by tango orchestras in the early 20th century and then
conducting his own orquesta típica in those works. The
page Joaquín Amenábar y su Orquesta Típica
De La Guardia Vieja
gives sound examples of his orchestra.
Joaquín Amenabar may be contacted by
Director, Marketing
and Public Relations
Ravinia Festival, Christoph Eschenbach, Music Director
Summer Home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Highland Park, Illinois
