Celebrate Five Years of Cortango
$20 - General Admission
$15 - Seniors/WU Faculty & Staff
$10 - Youth and Students
Washington University students are free with ID.
Cortango is a Tango, Classical and Jazz fusion concert and dance band featuring members of the Saint Louis Symphony. Founded and led by Cally Banham, a trained social Tango dancer, the band is named for her instrument, the "Cor anglais", or "English horn" - the atypical instrument in this otherwise orquesta tipica! Cortango's songbook comes entirely from original arrangements made by members of the ensemble, and by Argentine bandoneon player and Tango arranger, Julian Hasse.
Cortango was born from a desire to create a live music experience which would be ideal for social dancers, and has evolved to become a concert ensemble, exploring the vast repertoire of contemporary Tango. The band debuted at the St. Louis Ritz-Carlton's "Nuestra Milonga" in May 2013. Engagements during their first season included a New York City Debut at Cary Hall, and a Festival debut performance at the Midwest Tango Festival. The group has been featured twice in concert at spectacular Powell Symphony Hall, as well as at the Public Media Commons, presented by the Nine Network. As part of the community programs at the St. Louis Symphony, Cortango has performed for patients at Siteman Cancer Center and for veterans at The Jefferson Barracks. To celebrate the great community of Tango dancers in St. Louis, Cortango created the popular annual "Chapel Milonga" event!
Cortango's Debut Album, "Tandas", was released in 2015, and is available on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. Their album release was featured on the national PBS show "Arts America". Currently Cortango is a featured collaborator on a new Christmas recording, scheduled for release in November 2018.