Cuarteto Tanguero To Play At ND
By LEIGH HAYDEN
DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
NOTRE DAME — Cuarteto Tanguero will perform Tango Insomnia, a sizzling Presenting Series season opener at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. An exploration of traditional and contemporary Argentine tango, Cuarteto Tanguero’s Insomnia is a musical journey through the night of Buenos Aires.
The evening’s program begins with the section “5 p.m.,” the early afternoon when people are leaving their jobs in anticipation of the night. Then Insomnia will explore the tango instruments both as a group and as individuals, meet dancers and bring out the individual flavors of the different seasons of Buenos Aires before closing with the section “5 a.m.”
Tickets are $28 and $10 for youth and students.
The audience is invited to stay for a Milonga; fun social dancing frequently paired with other tango events. The set begins with DJ Clint Popetz then Cuarteto Tanguero, Ghi and Merlo will return to continue performing live during the Milonga.
Several pieces in Tango Insomnia, including those written by one of the genre’s greatest composers, Astor Piazolla, are adapted and re-arranged by the ensemble’s musicians who are educators and performers from North America and South America.
Ben Bogart, bandoneon; Daniel Stein, violin; Daniel Inamorato, piano; and Matt McConahay, bass formed the group in 2012 with the mission of transcending cultural barriers through excellence in performance and education of Argentine tango music, dance, and culture. They present an innovative look at classic tango artists and recordings, inviting and inspiring listeners to listen and express themselves through tango in new ways.
The quartet explores tango recordings, manuscripts and publications embracing the styles and performance of the tango tradition. The ensemble distills the essence of tango performance into new interpretations that invite audiences to delve into the genre’s past.

The live dance concert will also feature the sensuous footwork of Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo. The two are among the most prominent couples in the world of Argentine Tango and renowned for their elegant style, unique interpretation, creative choreography and powerful command of the stage. Ghi and Merlo are 1998 Tony Award nominees as choreographers for the Broadway sensation Forever Tango.
The 1999 World Tango Champions travel the world as teachers, performers and choreographers. They conceived, choreographed, directed and starred in the international hit Tango Dreams, were featured in the PBS special “Tango Magic” and in Miami filmmaker Pablo Alsina’s short “The Painting.” The Boston residents are the founders and creative directors of This is Tango Now! and Artango Dance Company.
Curateto Tanguero, made possible by the Gayle A. and Steven C. Francis Endowment for Excellence, kicks off the Presenting Series “Big 3,” a set of the season’s performances that celebrate Latin and Afro-Latin music. Tickets are available at performingarts.nd.edu.