2021-2022 Season
Upcoming Concerts
UPCOMING CONCERTS
Upcoming Concerts
UPCOMING CONCERTS
I have experienced PASO both from the stage and from the audience and have never been disappointed; in fact I have on every occasion been both impressed and inspired.
Scott Tucker
Artistic Director, The Choral Arts Society of Washington
Arthur Espinoza, Jr.
Former Executive Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
[PASO] is truly a gem and I commend you for your commitment and dedication to the art form.
Robert Pullen
Director of Special Programming, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Rita Moreno
The Orchestra accompanied Chita Rivera and me at the Latino Inaugural Celebration on January 20, 2013. In spite of such short notice, the Orchestra and its leadership rose to the occasion and because of its level of professionalism and musicality, the performance was quite a success.
PASO has demonstrated quality musicianship and brings a fresh appreciation and awareness to Latin American and Spanish contributions to the classical repertoire. PASO is an important cultural institution, successfully creating a public interest in the wealth of Latin American talent.
Rosanna Ruscetti
General Manager, The Lincoln Theater
Patricia A. McGuire
President, Trinity Washington University.
PASO is truly one of the great bright lights in our city. I can think of few other organizations that operate so consistently on the strength of volunteerism, a passion for beauty and culture, and a high degree of commitment to the idea that cultivation of the aesthetic senses can contribute to marked improvement in the community.
Chris Hemingway
Saxophone
Saxophone
From Florence, South Carolina, Chris grew up listening to the sounds of gospel, soul, R&B, and blues. Chris would later pull from these early listening experiences to develop his overall approach to music today. Chris’ natural fluency in both classical and jazz styles separates him from most musicians.
Ahmed Alom Vega
Pianist
Pianist
Ahmed, a leading young pianist in New York City today, is originally from Cuba. He studied classical music under both Cuban and Russian teachers and made his orchestral debut at age 17 with the Mexican Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Rhapsody in Blue. Ahmed is also a jazz and Latin jazz pianist and an expert on Cuban popular piano music. He is currently a student at the Manhattan School of Music.
Ahmed, a leading young pianist in New York City today, is originally from Cuba. He studied classical music under both Cuban and Russian teachers and made his orchestral debut at age 17 with the Mexican Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Rhapsody in Blue. Ahmed is also a jazz and Latin jazz pianist and an expert on Cuban popular piano music. He is currently a student at the Manhattan School of Music.
Ahmed, a leading young pianist in New York City today, is originally from Cuba. He studied classical music under both Cuban and Russian teachers and made his orchestral debut at age 17 with the Mexican Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Rhapsody in Blue. Ahmed is also a jazz and Latin jazz pianist and an expert on Cuban popular piano music. He is currently a student at the Manhattan School of Music.
Magdalena Duhagon
Guitar
Guitar
Born in Uruguay, classical guitarist, Duhagon has performed across America, Europe, and the Middle East. Her playing is noted for its refined expressiveness as well as for the enchantment of her phrasing. She studied under Berta Rojas and was a part of the Rojas - Duhagon Guitar Duo and a member of the Del Sur Guitar Quartet with Berta Rojas, Nestor Ausqui and Marcelo Cornut.
Pedro Giraudo
Bass Player
Bass Player
Latin Grammy Award winner bassist and composer, Pedro Giraudo, is among the most compelling tango artists today. After two decades performing with the most important interpreters of tango, Giraudo debuted his own Tango Orchestra at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing in July 2015 and since then has become an active cultural ambassador of this beautiful and passionate music of his native Argentina.
Rosalia Gasso & Alejandro Barrientos
Tango Dancers
Tango Dancers
From Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rosalia and Alejandro are professional tango dancers, instructors, and choreographers. They have danced with the critically acclaimed shows Tanguera with the Mora Godoy dance company and Entre Borges y Piazzolla by the Juan Carlos Copes dance company.
Adriana Salgado and Orlando Reyes, natives of Colombia, have been professional dancers and teachers of Argentine tango for almost twenty years. With backgrounds in classical ballet, they both studied tango in Buenos Aires.. Based in New York City, their performances are noted for their romantic, elegant style with a focus on the subtleties of the embrace and connection.
Dani Cortaza specializes in Brazilian, Latin jazz, and South America folk music, in both nylon and electric jazz guitar. His most recent recording, Together/Oñondivé includes Cortaza's own compositions and arrangements of Paraguayan and South American folk music combined with elements of jazz.
Maria Juncal
Bailaora
Bailaora
María Juncal, born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a bailaora with solid training in ballet and Spanish classical dance. She is the embodiment of the inherited talent and spirit that come with being the living legacy of several generations of authentic Spanish flamenco dancers and guitarists.
Praised by the Washington Post as "the richest and most expressive voice...with a memorable mezzo-soprano – round and clear with a smoky finish…Castrello has a powerful and passionate voice...." A native of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Castrello stands out as one of the most impressive and versatile artists and singers in the Washington, DC area.
Jaimee Paul
Vocalist
Vocalist
Raised inSouthern Illinois, steeped in the church choir, Ms. Paul was influenced by gospel and blues, cultivating a special place in her heart for jazz. She left her home town for Nashville to study music where she also worked at various record labels and as a studio session singer. She soon began touring as background vocalist with country superstar Wynonna, The Judd's and most recently, pop sensation, Kelly Clarkson.
F-31 Quinteto
Tango Ensemble
Tango Ensemble
Named after the model of airplane that in 1935 carried famous tango singer, Carlos Gardel, when it crashed in Medellin, Colombia killing him and all passengers, this talented group from Medellin is made up of piano, violin, guitar, double bass and bandoneon. They made their Washington, DC debut with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra in 2018.
Chaise Lounge performs a blend of music that sounds like it was recorded at Capitol Recording Studios in 1962 and somehow found its way to today’s pop charts. You might call it “Early Stereo.” It is the combination of five of the Washington, DC area’s top jazz musicians playing sparkling arrangements of standards and original tunes, and featuring the soft, luminous vocals of Marilyn Older.
Romina Bianco
Tango Singer
Tango Singer
Originally from Argentina, Romina lives in Barcelona, Spain. She has released 3 albums to date "Disfrazada de mi" (Dressed up as myself), “Sin Lagrimas” (Without Tears) and “Raices de Pasion (Roots of Passion)”. A regular performer in Finland, Romina has toured that country 15 times.
Rei has carried diverse Latin American traditions from her native Buenos Aires to the multi-cultural mecca of New York City, where she’s fused those sounds with jazz, classical, pop, and electronic music influences to forge a singular and ever-evolving sound.
Mauricio Miranda
Tenor
Tenor
Chilean tenor Miranda was a Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist. He has performed with the Virginia Chamber Orchestra, as soloist in Mozart's Requiem at the Washington National Cathedral and in other performances at the Kennedy Center and Georgetown University. He sang for a number of years with the Opera de Lima in Peru. He regularly performs with the Maryland Lyric Opera.
PASO Musicians
Octavio Brunetti
(1975-2014)
(1975-2014)
Pianist
Octavio Brunetti was PASO's tango pianist from 2006 until his untimely death. His addition brought a new level of musicianship to the orchestra. Perhaps the best tango pianist in the United States, Brunetti studied classical piano at the National School of Music in his home town of Rosario, Argentina. After being in the U.S. a short time, he won New York’s International Tango Competition twice: for Best Solo Pianist and Best Duo. Brunetti was composing his own tangos for a recording with PASO when he passed away in August 2014 from a sudden illness. He will always be admired and loved by PASO's conductor, musicians, and fans.
Brunetti performed on a recording with world famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 2007 (Soledad by Astor Piazzolla) after which Yo-Yo Ma was quoted as saying that “within minutes [of playing with Brunetti] it felt as if we’d been playing together for years”.
Rodolfo Zanetti
Bandoneon
From Mendoza, Argentina, Zanetti has achieved international acclaim for his virtuosity on the bandoneon, the quintessential instrument in tango ensembles. He is bandoneon player in Pedro Giraudo's Quartet, which won a 2018 Latin Grammy award for best tango recording. Zanetti has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City Opera, and with PASO in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, historic Lincoln Theater, the Organization of American States, and in Medellin, Colombia at the International Festival of Tango.
Diana LeGrand
VIOLIN
Diana LeGrand, from Assisi, Italy, started her music studies at age two and a half, learning from her mother, a violin and piano teacher. At age 15, she studied under the late Elaine Richey, formery the first violinist f the Razamousky Quartet at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she eventually earned her bachelor and masters degrees in violin performance. She also studied at the Conservatory of Modena, Italy. Over the years she has studied with Vadim Brodsky, Paola Besutti from Florence, Italy and the late Emmanuel Hurwitz, first violinist of the Aeolian String Quartet.
LeGrand performs throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra player. She is currently the concertmaster of the Pan American Symphony Orchestra.
Dorotea Racz
Cello
Croatian cellist, Dorotea Racz, was awarded a merit scholarship at the age of 16 to study with Amit Peled at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where she completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music. She recently earned her doctorate in cello performance from the Catholic University of America. She has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, as well as North and South America, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Mozarteum in Salzburg. An ardent chamber musician, Racz is a founding member of Racz-Samogray Duo and Ensemble Accendo.
Festival appearances include Washington's European Month of Culture, International Festival Umbria Classica, Rovinj Festival, and PagArt Festival. Her solo and chamber music performances have been broadcast on Croatia's HRT Radio and Television.
Pablo Estigarribia
Piano
Pianist, arranger and composer from Argentina, Estigarribia has performed across Europe and the United States with various tango orchestras and as soloist. His 2015 recording, Tangos para Piano, won him the prestigious Gardel Prize for best tango recording by a new artist.
He won the Medal of Honor from the Argentine Tango Society in both 2014 and 2015 and has appeared on NBC, Univision, and Telemundo. Estigarribia has been playing with PASO for two years.
Jaime Ibacache
Guitar
Javier Sanchez
Bandoneon
Valerie Heller
VIOLIN
