Port Townsend Tango Trio - Tango / Milonga

The Argentine tango is one of the greatest musical art forms of 20th century music, yet it lives in the shadows of American cultural consciousness. Not so for Bertram Levy, whose passion for the tango and for the bandoneon, Argentina’s national instrument, spans over 3 decades. He has been devoted to the study of the bandoneon since 1991.

In 2005 he embarked on an 8 year formal study of the bandoneon with the great professor Rodolfo Daluisio at the Conservatorio de Manuel de Falla in Buenos Aires. Bertram founded and was musical director of the premier Northwest quintet Tangoheart which, for over twenty five years, appeared in most major theaters in the Northwest. Tangoheart was seen in Port Townsend over the years in several sell-out shows at the Rose and
Wheeler theaters.

Bertram's latest iteration is a re-imagination of the tango in a more intimate trio form with two extraordinary local musicians: gypsy jazz guitarist Ryan Hoffman and the world famous banjoist Danny Barnes on tuba. Ryan Hoffman developed his Django Reinhardt guitar style while living in France. He became the lead guitarist in Seattle's prestigious Pearl Django for 8 years. Since moving to Port Townsend, Ryan has become a regular
member of the local hot jazz performance scene and a sought-after guitar teacher, He has been studying the unique tango guitar style for the last 3
years.

Danny Barnes is an international acclaimed Grammy nominated 5 string banjoist who, after the pandemic, gave up a longtime rigorous performance career to devote himself to composing and recording and to his visual arts. He has recently surprised his huge fan base by re-igniting his passion as an aspiring teenage tubist to be a member of this tango trio.

The trio’s program encompasses the full range of the Argentine tango, from spirited tangos to swirling waltzes and hip shaking milongas. The trio is joined by the dazzling vocalist Robin Kallsen creating an Argentine musical and educational experience without a 15 hour flight to the tip of the southern hemisphere.

*30 minutes before music starts, a cover charge (up to $5, excluding children) will be collected. All funds collected go to the music program.