Bandonegro is a world-class Polish tango orchestra, one of the most intriguing and recognisable performers of this musical style. They specialise in both the traditional Argentinean tango and tango nuevo, as well as compose their own pieces adding the elements of jazz and classical music. Their incredible passion, ideas for music, fresh sound and unique style that is perfect for dancing have won the hearts of audiences all over the world as they are deemed the best tango orchestra of their generation.
At the very onset of their carrier, when they were 18, Bandonegro won the international competition “PIF Castelfidardo” in Italy, and only a year later, they recorded their first album “Tango Nuevo by Astor Piazzolla”. Since then, they have been constantly intensifying their activities aimed at the promotion of the tango in Poland by performing with numerous projects in prestigious concert halls, philharmonics and musical theatres.
They have presented their music during the tango and jazz festivals all over Poland such as Krakus Aires Tango Festival, Recuerdo Warsaw Tango Festival, Łódź Tango Salon Festival or Podlasie Jazz Festival, and abroad: in Argentina (Argentina Tango Salon), Germany (Schleswig Holstein Music Festival), Italy (Torino Tango Festival), France (Toulouse Tango Festival), Denmark (Copenhagen Jazz Festival), Sweden (Stockholm Tango Festival), Switzerland (Oster Tango Festival Basel), Finland (World of Tango Festival) and Portugal (Porto Tango Festival).
The band creates concert projects with prominent dancers of tango scene, such as Clarisa Aragone and Jonathan Saavedra (World Tango Champions), Roxana Suarez and Sebastian Achaval, Facundo Pinero and Vanesa Villalba, Los Totis, as well as tango vocalists and musicians: Nelson Pino, Roberto Siri, Carlos Roulet or Andres Martorell.
In 2019, Bandonegro was on a five-week tour in the Argentinean Buenos Aires, performing in numerous prestigious clubs, for example, Canning or La Viruta, and during the Argentina Tango Salon Festival. They presented a special version of “Gallo Ciego” during the finals of Buenos Aires Tango World Cup – the largest tango event in the world. As the only Polish artists so far, they had an opportunity to perform for José Colángelo, the last Troilo orchestra pianist, and Fernando Suárez Paz, a legendary violinist, who was a long-standing member of Astor Piazzola’s quintet.
Bandonegro has already recorded 5 albums published by prestigious Polish record labels: Dux, RecArt or SJRecords. “Tanchestron” (2017), “Tangostoria”(2020) and “Color Aires” (2022) are more traditional, whereas “Tango Nuevo by Astor Piazzolla” (2011) and the original “Hola Astor” (2019) present a fusion of tango and some elements of jazz and rock, which has been deemed revolutionary by music critics.
The musicians more and more often turn towards composing their own pieces for such renowned institutions as, for example, the German Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations ARD or Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society of Poznań. Bandonegro has received a scholarship from the Mayor of Poznań for their exceptional musical achievements, and a Medal of Young Art, awarded to talented artists from the Wielkopolska Province. They have also been granted an honorary patronage by the embassy of Argentina in Poland.
“In the last year these young Polish gentlemen have become one of the most popular bands performing on the most important milongas and festivals in the whole Europe”.
Tangodanza Magazine (Germany)
“Unique energy and exceptional sound. There are four of them, but it sounds as if it was an orchestra consisting of ten!”
Nito Garcia (legendary Argentinean dancer)
“Bandonegro isn’t just a band, it’s a phenomenon on the Polish music scene”
Adam Baruch (Jazz Forum Magazine)
Bandoneon / Accordion
Born in Poznań, 1993. In 2018 he graduated from the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz in the class of prof. Jerzy Kaszuba
He developed his skills with outstanding musicians such as Prof. Klaudiusz Baran, Prof. Grzegorz Stopa, Prof. Alexander Dmitriev and Jurij Szyszkin. He is a laureate of national and international competitions. In one of them, in 2010, he heard a piece by Astor Piazzolla. Since then, he fell in love with tango and decided to form his own band.
Violin
Born in 1993 in Poznań. Led by outstanding educators prof. Wojciech Maliński and prof. Michał Grabarczyk, graduated from the Academy of Music in Poznań in 2014.
He is a laureate of many violin competitions, both national and international. He took part in master classes conducted by outstanding musicians: Robert Kabara, Kazimierz Kudanowski, Roberto Siri, Klaudiusz Baran and Konstanty Andrzej Kulka. Founder and president of the La Vita Arte foundation, which aims to promote tango music by initiating, supporting and implementing programs and research, publishing, artistic and educational projects.
Piano
Born in Poznań, 1993. A student of the famous polish pianist Prof. Bogumił Nowicki. He graduated from the Academy of Music in Poznań.
A laureate award winner for the international piano competition “Amadeus” in Brno, „Concours Musical De France” in Krakow and the piano competition „Hillera” in Gorlitz. He has perfected his artistry under the watchful eyes of Aleksiej Orłowiecki, Martin Hughes, Roberto Siri, Elżbieta Tarnawska, Monika Sikorska- Wojtacha and Waldemar Wojtal.
Double bass
Born in 1993 in Poznań. Composer, arranger, instrumentalist. He began learning to play in the piano class, in 2004 he changed the instrument to the double bass. He graduated with honors from the Academy of Music in the class of prof. Szymon Guzowski.
He has collaborated with many orchestras and philharmonics in Poland and abroad. In 2017, he auditioned for the position of the double bass player of the Orchester Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. He is a laureate of the 14th Tadeusz Ochlewski Composition Competition organized by Polish Musical Publishing House. In 2020, at the request of the German ARD Television, he wrote and arranged the music for the film "Tanze Tango mit mir". Marcin Antkowiak's compositions have received many positive reviews in Polish and foreign press - “This is no longer just "Nuevo tango", but it's multidimensional poetry of music, created with thoughtfulness and nobility" - (Polish album, Polish music)
