New Year's Concert

It’ll get hot when the Oslo Philharmonic and conductor Eduardo Strausser invite you to tango at this year's New Year’s concert. Tango master and bandoneon player Per Arne Glorvigen will run the show and is set to turn up the heat several notches with guests such as singer Luciana Mancini and dancers Cyrena Drusine and Steinar Refsdal. The music is naturally by the king of tango, Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla, but we also have other musical offerings, including some Norwegian ones, in store …

Astor Piazzolla (1921−1992) revolutionised Argentinean tango from the 1950s onwards by introducing new instruments and elements to the traditional dance and musical form. Through immortal works such as Libertango, Le Grand Tango, Oblivion and Estaciones Porteñas, he didn’t just lead the tango towards new stylistic expressions, but also into the classical concert hall. Maria de Buenos Aires is almost a mini-opera, yet always retains the characteristic tango rhythms and the distinctive sound of the bandoneon as a basis. Piazzolla was not just a composer, but also a virtuoso bandoneon player, and he often performed his own works.

The same can be said of Per Arne Glorvigen (b.1963). His skills on the bandoneon and his interest in tango led him from Dovre to Paris and Buenos Aires, and he has established an international career as a soloist on the bandoneon and disseminator of Argeninean tango in Norway and Europe. He is in Oslo tonight to perform in our New Year's concert, which will include Luciana Mancini singing excerpts from Maria de Buenos Aires. While this evening’s conductor is Brazilian, not Argentinean, Eduardo Strausser is known for his fiery, intense interpretations, and should prove to be the perfect tango host.

There would be no tango without dance, however. Cyrena Drusine began her career as a ballet dancer in New York but was bitten by the tango bug while studying in Buenos Aires in 2005. Since then she has been a finalist in the tango world championships and has toured the world as a tango dancer. She has found the perfect partner in Steinar Refsdal from Norway, who was so fascinated by tango that he moved to Buenos Aires for 18 months in order to learn more. Both masters of tango will conquer the stage in Oslo Concert Hall tonight with their intense steps, playful moves and raw sensuality.

Welcome to the hottest New Year's party of the year!

After the concert we invite you to the New Year's Concert Milonga at Oslo Konserthus's Glasshus with DJ Ina Eriksen!

Following a spectacular evening of music, dance and song with Oslo-Filharmonien and special guests, why not slip into your dancing shoes and join the musicians, dancers and public at the bar for a drink or a dance! This special New Year's milonga will run until 23.30 and is a perfect opportunity to socialise while hearing a fabulous selection of traditional Argentinian tango. There is no pressure to dance, you can just watch and enjoy from the bar! Don't miss a great evening! Free entry to milonga with concert ticket. Everybody welcome!

(In photo: Cyrena Drusine and Steinar Refsdal, Photo: Kicca Tommasi; Text: Thomas Erma Møller; Translation from Norwegian: Sarah Osa)