MORGANTOWN — Join the award-winning BETA ensemble and bandoneon player Alejandro Pinzón at 8 p.m. May 5 for a night of tango music. Come listen to music by Astor Piazzola, Matos Rodriguez, Francisco Canaro, Angel Villoldo, and more, arranged for bandoneon, two soprano flutes and bass flute.
BETA is a professional chamber music ensemble comprised of national and international prize-winning flutists Brittany Trotter, Eftihia Arkoudis and Alyssa Schwartz. The ensemble is engaged in chamber music competitions and performances across the nation. In its first season (2016-’17), BETA was the recipient of First Prize at the West Virginia Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Chamber Music Competition, and First Prize at the Flute Society of Kentucky Quartet Competition.
Originally from Yucatan, México, Pinzón is a multidisciplinary artist and educator who specializes in all things Argentine tango. He travels internationally performing and conducting tango concerts, leading interactive lectures, and teaching music master classes and dance workshops about Argentine tango. Alejandro plays the bandoneon, the rare and emblematic instrument of tango music. He lives in Pittsburgh, where his “Cuarteto Bravo” and “Resaca Tango Duo” are the premier tango ensembles.
Schwartz and Pinzón, fellow graduate students at WVU in 2012, began collaborating at the beginning of 2018, envisioning merging the characteristic voice of the bandoneon, the flair of tango, and the performance style of BETA to create a performance that is true to the roots of tango repertoire and fresh, with a twist of flutes.
Tickets are available and cost $10 for adults. Tickets may be purchased at the MAC lobby desk, by phone, 304-292-3325, and online at monartscenter.com/shop.
MAC is at 107 High St. Inquiries should be directed to info@monarts
center.com or 304-292-3325.
