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Musicians Flock to Reed for Second Annual Tango Music Institute

The world-renowned faculty and the most advanced students from the second annual Reed College Tango Music Institute will perform for the public on Saturday, June 28 at 7 p.m. in Reed’s Eliot chapel. The Tango Institute is a unique educational opportunity created by Reed College Professor of Music Morgan Luker. Musicians come from around the country to study the musical richness of tango alongside some of the most accomplished tango musicians active today.

The artistic faculty member on bass is Pablo Aslan who came to America from Argentina wanting to learn jazz. When he got to America, however, what he found instead was a rich appreciation for the music he thought he’d left behind. Aslan is now widely regarded as a preeminent tango bassist and has produced more than a dozen albums for the Soundbrush label, including the 2007 Latin Grammy winner Te Amo Tango by Uruguayan bandoneonist Raul Jaurena. His latest release, Tango Grill, was nominated for a Grammy.

In addition to Pablo Aslan, other artistic faculty include: Octavio Brunetti on piano; Julian Hasse on bandoneón; Adam Tully on guitar; Ramiro Gallo on violin, and flutist Paulina Fain from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gallo is one of the most prominent tango composers of this generation and will be offering advanced seminars on tango composition and arranging.

“This is a way for me to give back to Reed, as well as the tango community,” said Luker. “This is the only institute of its kind in North America. You can only learn things like rhythmic articulation while performing with coaches and masters—it’s not tango without it. This is an invaluable resource for musicians to exchange knowledge.”  

The second annual Reed College Tango Music Institute runs June 22 through 29.