Grammy-nominated classical violinist Philippe Quint was enjoying a successful if conventional career before the seductive sounds of tango music pulled him in unexpected directions. “The bulk of my season was and still is playing concertos with orchestras. A few years ago I never would have predicted my interests would take me here,” Quint said.
Quint’s career shift started with an unexpected invitation. “I was asked to join a chamber music series in New York, and it was a program focusing on Latin American composers.” One of them was Argentinian tango master Astor Piazzolla. “At that time, of course I knew of his music but had never played it,” Quint recalled. “I was put together with a funky group: bandoneon (the classic tango instrument, it sounds much like an accordion), electric guitar, piano and stand-up bass. I just fell in love with the sound that the group produced.”
The experience lit a creative fire under Quint. “After we completed the concert, I Googled ‘bandoneon’ and ‘New York’ and ‘best Argentina tango players.’ Within a month I started working with most of the people that you will be seeing soon in Orange County.”
