Gstaad Tango Festival
featuring
PABLO ZIEGLER QUARTET
Welcome to
Gstaad Tango Festival
Pablo Ziegler invites you to experience the vibrant essence of Buenos Aires in the exclusive destinations of Lauenen-Gstaad and Château d'Oex, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Swiss Alps.
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In celebration of the second edition of the Gstaad Tango Festival, Pablo Ziegler Quartet presents Ziegler's beautifully crafted arrangements of Astor Piazzolla's iconic pieces alongside passionate and nostalgic Ziegler's compositions
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For this occasion, Ziegler invited Manu Comté, an internationally acclaimed bandoneon player who recently shared the stage with him and the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Anzhe Zuo, an award-winning cellist who received Ziegler's masterclass at Stauffer Foundation in Cremona, Italy, and Virgilio Monti, a bass player with extensive tango experience who toured with Ziegler in Italy
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This festival is made possible by the generous support of
Babette Herbert and Markus Kappeler
Article by Anzeiger von Saanen
May 31, 2024
(photos)
In the full church, Pablo Ziegler – here with his"European" quartet: Manu Comté on bandoneon, Anzhe Zuo on cello, and Virgilio Monti on double bass – led through ten pieces of Nuevo Tango. Some of the compositions were by Ziegler himself, some by Piazzolla.
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Pablo Ziegler on the terrace of the Hotel Alpenland.The 79-year-old musician and composer Pablo Ziegler delighted the audience at the piano with Nuevo Tango and many improvisations. Also in the quartet: Manu Comté on bandoneon, Anzhe Zuo on cello, and Virgilio Monti on double bass.
From Lauenen to Buenos Aires
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CULTURE
"Oblivion" is the title of a piece by Astor Piazzolla, performed by Pablo Ziegler and his quartet in the church of Lauenen. Oblivion means forgetfulness, and this was the case for the concertgoers on Friday evening, as they immersed themselves in the world of Buenos Aires and forgot the rain and cold outside the church for an hour.
CAROLINE THORNTON
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Astor Piazzolla was an Argentine composer and bandoneon player who created Nuevo Tango, a fusion of classical tango with jazz and classical music. At the time, Piazzolla had asked his Argentine compatriot Pablo Ziegler to play with him, which surprised him since he had only played jazz until then. As he told the "Anzeiger von Saanen," he wondered, "Why me? I've never played tango before." However, the collaboration was a great success, and in 2018, Ziegler won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album. His work and long stay in the USA, as he explained, enabled him to access the international music scene.
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With a smile on his lips
The 79-year-old Ziegler sat at the piano in the middle, surrounded by his musicians. A smile on his lips showed the joy of playing, even after all the years of success. He repeatedly made eye contact with Comté as they played their improvisations. There was nothing stiff about the performance; it came from the heart and captivated the audience.
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Even outside the high season...
Visitors came from all over Switzerland, but local faces could also be seen. The organizers counted about 125 people. As the organizers noted, it was a joy to hold an event outside the high season.
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A journey to Buenos Aires
The event was more than a concert – it was a journey to Buenos Aires. Whether in "Asfalto," the sounds of heels on the cobblestones of the old town were felt or the rattling of a vehicle, produced by the cello. The busy rhythm as a representation of life in a big city. Proof that music can be more than a simple experience; it can convey the idea of a faraway place.
"Why me?
I've never played
tango before."
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Ziegler's own style
Ziegler not only took the audience to his hometown but also through part of his musical life. Astor Piazzolla was more than his master, the artist said after the concert. He wanted Ziegler's own style when he asked him to play with him. It was important to Piazzolla that Ziegler's jazz background be expressed in Nuevo Tango. Also, the improvisation that had not been used until then. It is this improvisation that gives the fugue technique its color. The conversation, the play between the different instruments.
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See you then!
Piazzolla's death anniversary is almost in a month, so Ziegler not only said goodbye to the audience but also to Piazzolla in his third encore with the piece "Adiós Nonino" and the message to his old companion with the words "OK, see you then."
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The event was a success
After the concert, all visitors were invited to a drink at the Hotel Alpenland, attended by the artists. In conversations with the audience, it quickly became clear how much they had enjoyed the concert. Whether experienced classical music lovers or newcomers to Nuevo Tango – everyone agreed that the evening was a success. And so everyone said in Ziegler's own words, "OK, see you then," or "see you next time."
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*Special thanks to Nicolas Berg for the English translation
Biography
Manu Comté
BANDONEON
"Like a doleful beauty close to human voices" – this could describe the sound of Manu Comté’s accordion in lively interpretations of great virtuosity and intense dramatic moments. He excels at the swing and madness of music that sharpens the senses and sets off the heartbeat.
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His path corresponds to the adventure with his group "Soledad" that he created in the 1990s and took to the world’s greatest concert halls (Santory Hall in Tokyo, the Roque d’ Anthéron festival, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Cannes and Paris festivals, the Montreal Jazz Festival, New Morning in Paris, the Beppu, Lugano, Pietrasanta, Toronto, Ottawa festivals…).
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A great path that showered him with prestigious awards and encounters with great artists like Martha Argerich, Richard Galliano, Renaud Capuçon, Franck Braley, Philip Catherine, Tomás Gubitsch, Frédéric Devreese, Gerardo Jerez le Cam, Michel Portal, Alberto Iglesias.
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In 2016, Soledad, now a trio, was invited as a "resident artist" to the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Musical Chapel, where it would record a new CD for Warner Music to be released in March 2017.
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This year Manu Comté is invited as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from Liège ( OPRL) in Belgium, the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie (France), City of Musique and Dance from Soissons with the Varèse Quartet, and also with Jerez le Cam Quartet.
Anzhe Zuo
CELLO
Cellist Anzhe Zuo, born in China, lives in Zurich since 2015. Her talent allows her to look under the surface of the music works and to create new connections. You also experience her passion for vocalising the intensions of the composer, respectfully while still truly personal and artistic.
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2022 she won the 1st Prize at the International Music Competition Vienna in the violoncello category, in 2021 the 2nd prize in the VIII Stockholm International Music Competition. 2010 she won the second prize in the National Chinese cello competition the Aegean (Ai-Qin) competition in Beijing. Due to the impressing performance, she was selected as a soloist for the soundtrack of the national film “Chen Shaomei”. 2016 she was invited as a jury member for the international competition “New Stars”.
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As a solicit and chamber music player, Anzhe performs regularly throughout Europe and Asia. She has performed on stages such as National Grand Theater in Beijing, Sogar Theater in Zurich or “Gare du Nord für Neue Musik” in Basel, etc. She forms the Amúr Duo with Swedish guitarist Anders Miolin.
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At the age of 4 she started to receive piano training. A few years later the cello became her biggest passion and later profession. She studied at Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK after the graduation as a Bachelor at the conservatory in Tianjin. In Zurich she acquired two Master diploma in Cello Performance and in Music Pedagogics with Orfeo Mandozzi. Cellists Thomas Grossenbacher, Kati Raitinen, Yehuda Hanani, Gavriel Lipkind and Yunxin Zhang have been important teachers and mentors.
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At music festivals, postgraduate programs and attending masterclasses Anzhe Zuo got additional inspiration from great musicians such as Steven Isserlis, Antonio Meneses, Patrick Demenga, Frans Helmerson, Arto Noras, David Geringas, Natalia Gutman, Wen Sinn Yang, and Yibing Zhu. After the master study she started a Continuing Education in 2019 as a composer with Till Löffler.
Virgilio Monti
DOUBLE BASS
Double-bass degree in the “Conservatorio di Musica “Giuseppe Verdi”, Milan, Italy, with Maestro Cosmo. He has participated in several specialization and interpretation courses, one of them with Maestro A. Boccini.
He has collaborated in different chamber music ensembles and symphony orchestras such as “L’Orchestra Europea”, “L’Orchestra del Conservatorio G. Verdi” and “L’Orchestra dell’Università Statale di Milano”. Apart from classical music, he also works with other styles, including popular and light music. He has participated in many festivals and musical seasons.
He was part of "EL PAJARO EDUARDO TRIO", "CUARTETO SOBRE EL PUCHO", "TRASNOCHE" "Orquesta Tipica GUARDIA CADENERA", "Orquesta Tipica OTRA" Rotterdam, "CUARTETO ROTTERDAM", "GOTAN PROJECT" for the orchestral version in the CD "Gotan Projet Live".
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Monti collaborated with Gustavo Beytelmann, pf., Pablo Ziegler, pf. Eugenio Bennato, voz. Miguel Angel Zotto Company, Roberto Herrera Conpany Victor Villena, bd. Gerardo Agnese, db. Ruben Peloni, voz. Barbara Varassi Paga, pf. Vincenzo Albini, vl. Gino Zambelli, fisa, bd. Paola Dell'Erba, voz. Hernann Fassa, pf. Martin Troncoso, guit.,Pierluigi Ferrari, chit., Marco Albonetti, sax. Santiago Cimadevilla, db. Ebred Reijnen, vl. Mark Arthur Wyman, pf. Elliot Muusses, guit .Micha Molthoff, vl. Katrien Karimoen, pf. Claudio Constantini, bd. pf. Matias Pedrana, db. Beto Cutillo, perc. Igor Della Torre, vl. Giuseppe Lanfranchini. cello.
