Four events.

Context Story

Twin Cities Tango Collective was started in 2021 by Minneapolis-based bandoneonist, composer, and community organizer Charles Gorczynski. Argentine tango music has a deep and rich history spanning more than 150 years, and a dedicated following among dancers around the world. The mission of Twin Cities Tango Collective is to cultivate local tango music community and culture, by actively creating tango music ensembles and resources here in Minneapolis / St. Paul. The collective is now in its third full year and hosts three large-form tango ensembles, has created more than 45 original scores, hosted 12 sold-out concerts, collaborated with the local dance community Tango Society of Minnesota, inspired the start of many new local tango small bands, and is now creating our very own annual festival: Minnesota Tango Music Festival.

This wildly productive history was possible because of the ethos of the collective: everyone is welcome, all resources are shared openly, and support between musicians is paramount. Coming out of the pandemic created even more of a need for this kind of shared social space, and the openness of our local community sparked new love and appreciation for tango music across the board. Members of our collective represent all aspects of our community: from musicians that have never once been in a band or heard tango music, to our Argentine neighbors singing/playing/dancing with us, to professional classical and jazz musicians. The collective has strong connections to Tango Sin Fin, an organization in Buenos Aires that produces books and scores about tango style and technique.

Director Charles Gorczynski is a deeply established musician and community organizer with a distinct voice in creative new music, stemming from his upbringing in jazz/improvised music and decades of tango composition and performance. His projects have toured North America and Europe extensively, playing hundreds of performances annually and producing five albums of original contemporary tango music. Charles has premiered his compositions with Chamber Music Northwest Festival and the San Francisco International Arts Festival, worked with the Buenos Aires-based Tango Sin Fin organization for their programs with Reed College, and is regularly commissioned for new works for tango chamber ensemble. As bandoneonist he has worked with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Chorale, the California Symphony, Vocal Essence at Orchestra Hall, Mason Bates’ Mercury Soul Orchestra, and many other orchestral and chamber music organizations. Charles has recorded and toured with international tango projects, including Mariano Barreiro Tango Trio, Tango BC Quartet, Alejandro Ziegler Cuarteto, Maxi Larrea Trio, Maldito Tango, and Los Tangueros Del Oeste.