Through their innovative look at classic tango artists and recordings, the members of Cuarteto Tanguero bring traditional tango to new audiences. With every recording and performance, they reach more listeners and inspire them to look at tango in new ways.

The quartet explores tango recordings, manuscripts, and publications by tango masters such as, Juan D’Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese, among others, embracing the styles and performance of the tango tradition. Through this in-depth research process, the ensemble distills the essence of tango performance into new interpretations that allow audiences to understand the genre’s past. Through their recordings and performances, Cuarteto Tanguero shares the emotions, jokes, gestures, and tragicomic features that speak to the universal human experience.

Audiences learn the cultural context and history of tango through the quartet’s presentations, which aim to inspire audiences to explore tango as vehicle for self-expression. The ensemble’s chamber format – violin, piano, bass, and bandoneón – allows the group to bring tango to a broader listenership, whether it is a small intimate setting or a large concert hall. The group arranges from golden age pieces to contemporary tango to suit the requirements of the ensemble, striking an elegant balance between traditional tango style and modern performance tastes.

Violinist Daniel Stein and bandoneonist Ben Bogart first met in Argentina while Daniel S. conducted research and Ben studied at the Orquesta Escuela de Tango. After collaborating in This is Tango Now (with Tony Award Winner Fernanda Gui and Guillermo Merlo), and the Concert:Nova and Cincinnati Opera production of Astor Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires, Daniel S. and Ben decided to establish an ensemble through which they could bring tango to a wider population, while at the same time entertaining and educating audiences. Once Ben moved back to the U.S. in 2012 they added to their ensemble pianist Daniel Inamorato and bassist Matt McConahay to complete the quartet. In 2016, Winnie Cheung replaced Daniel I., who left to pursue personal projects.

Cuarteto Tanguero members have presented tango workshops and masterclasses at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, IL), Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music Summer String Academy (Bloomington, IN), University of Massachusetts (Lowell, MA), Brown University (Providence, RI) among many others. In the 2013-14 season, they developed with dancers Hommer and Cristina Ladas a tango workshop with live music, which was presented at Mad City Live Tango. In 2014 they also started the Tanguero Workshop for musicians which has been hosted at the Jacobs School of Music Summer Workshops for the past 3 years.