Featured composer

Photo © Peter Schaaf

Daniel Binelli

Argentina's Daniel Binelli is an internationally renowned master of the bandoneón, seasoned composer and experienced arranger specializing in all styles of tango. He is widely acclaimed as the foremost torchbearer of the music of Astor Piazzolla. In 1989, Binelli joined Astor Piazzolla´s New Tango Sextet. Previously, from 1968 until 1982, he was a member Osvaldo Pugliese´ s Orchestra, for which he created many arrangements. Today he performs world-wide in concerts and recitals on the bandoneón, a unique and sensuous instrument which he showcases in a wide range of his own compositions, many of which have roots in the tango.

Binelli has created and arranged music for solo instruments, quintet, chamber and symphony orchestras, dance and film music. His versatility allows him to work from all tango styles up to the present. Binelli has composed three concertos: one for bandoneón, one for piano and another for guitar and orchestra. He was commissioned by Utah State University for a concerto for piano, bandoneón and orchestra. The piece, Homage to Tango, was premiered in March 2008.

See a performance of the work on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EYVoV7AKdE&feature=channel_page,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99M-kbs7_4s&feature=channel and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3YjGNpnu5w&feature=channel.

His work "Golden Gate Fantasy" was funded by a grant from the American Music Center. Some of the many international orchestras, ensembles, tango companies and soloists that have requested arrangements or commissioned works from Daniel Binelli include the Zurich Symphony (Switzerland), Edmonton Symphony (Canada), Buffalo Philharmonic (NY), Colorado Music Festival, Montevideo Philharmonic, Colombia Symphony, and Buglisi/Foreman Dance Company (NY) as well as Osvaldo Pugliese Orquesta Tipica (Argentina) and Tango 7 (Switzerland). Additionally, Binelli has composed music for the Argentine films India Pravile, Funes un Gran Amor and Tango Baile Nuestro.

World-class musicians Daniel Binelli and Polly Ferman have united their talents to develop and further the appreciation of the tango, milonga, Candombe, and other Latin American musical forms in the rarely heard partnership of the bandoneón and piano and now Daniel has created unique arrangements and new compositions for the combined duo and woodwind quintet. We are proud to present these new works on our History of Tango programs.

His website is at http://www.danielbinelli.com

 

Binelli's ability to wring melancholic sobbing and sighing out of this reedy instrument, combined with an exceptional sensitivity towards Piazzolla's melodic inspirations, is both remarkable and evocate.

- Review in The Australian (Sept 2003)