Two to Tango: Bandini-Chiacchiaretta to Perform in Cincinnati, 3/20

The Bandini-Chiacchiaretta Duo, two of the most highly acclaimed musicians performing Argentine music, more commonly known as tango, will perform at Xavier University in Cincinnati on Sunday, March 20.

Giampaolo Bandini and Cesare Chiacchiaretta specialize in playing guitar and bandoneon, a type of concertina often associated with tango dancing. (Click here!)

Since teaming up in 2002, they have performed at concerts and festivals throughout the world. In 2005, the duo debuted at the prestigious Grand Hall of Saint Petersburg Academic Philharmonic in Russia.

"When I heard how passionate they play their amazing interpretations of the composer Astor Piazzolla, it was like going back in time," said Polina Bespalko, director of the Xavier University Music Series.

Astor Piazzolla was an Argentine composer known for revolutionizing traditional tango by incorporating elements of jazz and classical music. The result was a new style of music that came to be known as nuevo tango. Of all dance forms, Bespalko believes tango is the one that best represents the 20th century.

"The end of the 19th century was represented by the waltz, but the 20th century is represented by tango because it is so raw and emotional," she said. "In the 21st century, people are not dancing the way they did years ago, and that is really unfortunate."

The Bandini-Chiacchiaretta Duo has worked with such prominent artists as Arnoldo Foà, Elio delle Storie Tese, Amanda Sandrelli and musicians such as Fernando Suarez Paz, Michele Pertusi, Corrado Giuffredi, Danilo Rossi, Massimo Quarta, Enrico Bronzi, Franca Masu, Maria Estela Monti, Enrico Fagone and many others. The duo's first album, "Hombres de Tango," was critically acclaimed. One of their recent concerts in Brussels was broadcast in more than 20 countries.

Prior to Bandini-Chiacchiaretta's upcoming concert in Cincinnati, dancers from Tango del Barrio, a nonprofit organization that promotes tango in Cincinnati, will perform on stage.

The Xavier University Music Series will present the Bandini-Chiacchiaretta Duo in the Gallagher Theater at Xavier University on Sunday, March 20, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range in price from $3 to $17 and can be ordered by calling 513-745-3939 or by visiting www.xavier.edu/musicseries.

Information about the Bandini-Chiacchiaretta Duo is available at www.bandinichiacchiaretta.com.