About

(PASO) was founded 30 years ago by dynamic Argentine conductor and musician, Sergio Alessandro Bušlje, with the objective of bringing Latin American symphonic music to Washington, DC concert halls. Maestro Bušlje had studied and performed standard classical repertoire for many years but noticed a gap in the area’s cultural offerings—Latin American music was not fully represented in area performances, even though our Latin American neighbors possess a treasure trove of symphonic works that beg to be played.

rarely performed works by composers from Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, and Brazil. PASO has performed zarzuelas (Spanish opera) from Spain and Cuba and Spanish operas, such as La Vida Breve and Goyescas. The orchestra has dedicated a concert series to Latin American women composers and was the first orchestra in the Washington, DC area to perform the unusual, but beautifully melodic, tango-opera Maria de Buenos Aires, by Astor Piazzolla.

audiences with high quality shows of music originating from Latin America. With an on-going concert series that showcases gifted Latino musicians and soloists, critical acclaim from the media, and a loyal following from the public, PASO remains on the cutting edge of symphonic performances with newly commissioned works, such as Danzon no. 7, by eminent contemporary Mexican composer, Arturo Marquez, who dedicated this beautiful piece to Maestro Bušlje.