Bárbara Varassi Pega
- Dr. in Music-Creative and Performing Arts, Pianist, Composer, Researcher, Artistic Research coach -
// PROJECTS
QUINTETO ASTOR PIAZZOLLA
This quintet was founded with the mission of preserving and promoting the music of the renowned Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. Together with the best musicians in Buenos Aires, I have collaborated with this ensemble for years as a pianist in international tours in the best theatres around the world. Now with more than 20 years and counting, the quintet has been acclaimed and awarded with international recognition; the most recent being the Latin Grammy for the Best Tango Album 2019.
f-LUID
A fluid ensemble for fluid art
With a strong international and multicultural line-up, f-LUID strives to create and perform music that reflects their members’ roots and the multiple paths they have traveled. Their unique sound has traces of South American music, tango, pop, rock, jazz and folklore, showing the power of bringing worlds together, of social flux in the globe and in the arts. In line with the concept of fluidity they explore in many ways, musicians play more than one instrument, sing and mingle their varied experiences and backgrounds in originally composed music.
f-LUID engages in collaborations with artists from animation, video, computer music, dance, visual arts, circus and theater to produce highly engaging performances which bring new energy to the music scene. With the aim of making a contribution to raise awareness on the main challenges of our time, the ensemble creates works which cross musical genres and artforms in order to run new paths –just like water.
f-LUID line-up:
Bárbara Varassi Pega, piano, arrangements, compositions
Gerardo Agnese, bandoneon, electric guitar, arrangements and compositions
Inês Kosters Miranda, voice and oboe
Burcu Ramazanoğlu, violin
Benjamin de Boer, bass guitar and double bass
Manel Chust Torres, drums and percussion
TANGO TINTO
Tango ensemble
“Tango Tinto” is composed by Gerardo Agnese, (bandoneon), Bárbara Varassi Pega (piano), Virgilio Monti (double-bass) Vincenzo Albini (violin), and Rubén Peloni (voice). The repertoire embraces the different periods of tango up to contemporary times, including own compositions and pieces by key composers in original as well as in revisitated, personal own versions. “Tango Tinto” has extensively given recitals and shows (also with dancers, multimedia, actors) in Argentina, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, France, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Poland, Denmark, and Lithuania, being always well received by critics and public. The ensemble has recorded three cd's, namely “Tango Tinto” (2004), “Ojos Negros” (2007) and “Camino esquivo” (2016).
DUO VARASSI PEGA - AGNESE
Piano and bandoneon
The intimacy of a duo, the greatness of tango music and the backbone instruments of an 'orquesta típica'. Featuring traditional pieces from tango, folklore and other genres of popular South-American music, the duo performs both legendary versions as well as own arrangements and compositions.
TANGO GRADUS AD PARNASSUM
Laboratory ensemble
“Tango Gradus ad Parnassum” is a musical project in which I integrate elements from two distinct cultural traditions that very much define me: the River Plate tango and the so-called Western Art music (classical or contemporary). The repertoire has been entirely composed or arranged by myself, in doing so finding my own “voice”, that which expresses my musical and personal identity as well as my own history.
“Gradus ad Parnassum” comes from a Latin expression derived from Greek mythology, in which the Parnassus mount represents an arrival point, a higher peak than the one from which we were departed. With the affix of the word “tango” I state the two main goals of my project: the study of the constitutive elements of tango music and a thorough research aimed at expanding its configuration possibilities by integrating materials and techniques from Western Art music (including computer assisted composition). In addition, “Gradus” implies a gradual movement, in this sense related to my trajectory as an artist: parallel to a long and intense professional activity devoted to traditional tango, I have decided to undertake a new, challenging journey of creative experimentation more in line with my nature and the reality surrounding me.
The project consists on a group of pieces of variable geometry, with diverse instrumental combinations that range from a soloist to the complete ensemble: Santiago Cimadevilla, bandoneon; Gustavo Cabrera, violin; Álvaro Rovira Ruiz, electric and acoustic guitars; Virgilio Monti, double bass; and me, as pianist and conductor.
BÁRBARA VARASSI PEGA
Piano solo
A programme made of own arrangements and compositions of tango and Argentinian music with the addition of some pieces by my favourite pianists/composers/arrangers: Horacio Salgán, Carlos García and Gustavo Beytelmann.
PINOCCHIO
Masks and puppets theatre
After many years working in music education with children I have embarked in the fascinating world of theatre and puppets. Together with my dear cousin, the great visual artist Mauricio Martínez, we have made our own version of “Pinocchio”, the famous Italian fairy-tale. The piece is aimed both at presenting an artistic and poetic play for children (and not only) as well as sensitizing spectators on values such as trust, generosity, honesty and humbleness. All masks and puppets are entirely handmade and the story is guided by music I specially composed for the play and perform live. Children are oftentimes invited to actively participate in the story through riddles, bodily expression and auditory games, making it a dynamic and interactive experience.
