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Event
1ST FRIDAY @ GALERIA WEST Concert Event with A TASTE OF GARDEL with CHRIS VASQUEZ & FERNANDO OTERO
The popular monthly 1ST FRIDAY @ GALERIA WEST Music Concert Series at the wonderfully intimate Galeria West Art Gallery continues with a special evening of the music made popular by the iconic Argentine singer Carlos Gardel and more with acclaimed Tango vocalist Chris Vasquez and special guest artist, Latin Grammy award winning pianist Fernando Otero.
From his hometown of Buffalo, New York to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Chris Vasquez has been recognized for his passionate interpretations of the tango. The NY Argentine Consulate recently awarded Mr. Vasquez the honored prize of "Best Singer" at their International Tango Music Competition, and he was a finalist in the Medellín International Tango Festival Voice Competition. He has performed in New York at the Museo del Barrio, The Spanish Institute, Americas Society, The Park Theatre in NJ, and at The National Building Museum in Washington, DC among others. He has been guest soloist with the Long Island Symphony and The Americas Vocal Ensemble. He has written and produced several tango shows including the celebrated The Son of Tango: A Tribute to Carlos Gardel.
As an actor, he has been seen in theater, film and TV in the USA and Spain and has toured in concert in Romania, Bulgaria, and China. Mr. Vasquez holds degrees from Tufts University and from the New England Conservatory of Music. The Argentine composer and pianist Fernando Otero found his voice as writer, musician and bandleader when, at the urging of one of his music teachers, he began to incorporate the indigenous sounds of his native Buenos Aires into his work. "A unique and provocative style developed, which combined the improvisatory thrill of jazz with a contemporary classical structure in compositions that were often fastpaced and intense, full of dramatic stops and starts"
Otero first gained prominence in 2000 with his debut and eponymous album, a collection of pieces recorded in Buenos Aires in the early 90's, before moving his residence to New York. Afterwards he released "Chamber Music", "Siderata", "Plan", "Revision", "Expansion" and in 2008 his acclaimed debut album on Nonesuch Records: "Pagina de Buenos Aires" .
After the release of "Material" in 2009 by Warner Music, his new album entitled "Vital" (World Village) won the Latin Grammy for Best Classical album in 2010.
In 2012 he recorded "Romance", a chamber music record which offers a collection of original compositions that draw from traditional elements of Argentine music , but are decidedly cosmopolitan. While meticulously constructed, they also at times suggest the freedom of improvisation. The new album was released on February 2013 by Soundbrush Records.
He has written music for orchestra, chamber ensembles, string quartet, choir, and solo instruments as piano, violin and cello, being many of his compositions commissioned and premiered by performers like the Kronos Quartet and the Imani Winds ensemble. Among his recent works he wrote a Solo Violin sonata for Nick Danielson, Solo Piano Works for Krisztina Wajsza, a Cello Concerto for Inbal Segev, piano trios for the Ahn Trio, and an album for two pianos performed by himself and Yana Reznik.
Due to the nature of his compositions and performance, he was embraced by both New York classical and jazz scenes. He has performed with legendary bassist Eddie Gomez (who introduced Otero as one of the pianists of the new generation) , flautist Dave Valentin, the Arturo O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, and was featured in the Grammy Award-winning album Funk Tango by reed maestro Paquito D'Rivera, with whom he has also performed at Birdland, Blue Note, and the Caramoor Festival. Fernando Otero has written and produced soundtracks for movies and recorded in more than 40 albums.
Reviewing Fernando Otero's performance at New York's Symphony Space in February 2012, Steve Smith wrote in The New York Times: "Mr. Otero's writing vibrantly summoned tango ancestors while also acknowledging Bartok and Prokofiev. His brilliant playing bore traces of jazz pianists like Bill Evans and Don Pullen. The resulting synthesis proposed bold new directions for a venerable tradition.
"Mr. Otero, a resourceful pianist and composer from Buenos Aires, recently released a darkly ravishing album with the plain but connotative title of "Romance" (Soundbrush). This concert will feature that material, a sensuous blend of tango and classical and chamber jazz, with a cohort that includes the vocalist Kristin Norderval, the bandonéon player Juan Pablo Jofre Romarion, the clarinetist Ivan Barenboim and a string quartet headed by the violinist Nick Danielson."Nate Chinen, New York Times,March 2013.
Mr. Otero hails from Argentina, where romance has often been cast as a kinetic pursuit. The expressive drama of tango generally animates his compositions, which also involve aspects of classical chamber music and jazz improvisation."Beginning with "El Circulo Rojo," which appears on both recent albums, Mr. Danielson and Mr. Otero locked in tightly, playing a compact melody in sync and then spiraling outward to set up some counterpoint. During one passage in the piece, and on a brisk subsequent composition, there was a faint echo of the dynamic that existed between the pianist Chick Corea and the violinist Jean-Luc Ponty some 30 years ago"Nate Chinen, New York Times, February 2008
"Otero is a seriously talented pianist, and his orchestrations are equal parts Bernard Hermann and Charlie Parker. That is, they alternate between jagged suspenseful crescendos and long, sinuous melodies. This music bounds out of the speakers and leaps into every corner of the room at once, exhilarating but also bewildering -Phil Freeman.Jazziz Magazine, March 2008. Space is limited. Reserve early! Join us often during the year to celebrate the arts in a unique setting. We recommend that you consider enjoying a fine meal before or after the concert at one of the fine eateries in quaint downtown Westfield. Most are located within a short walk from Galeria West.
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LocationGaleria West Art Gallery (View)
111 Quimby Street
Westfield, NJ 07090
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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