Angelika Klas& Tanguedia Quintet

Tanguedia Quintet was founded in 2007 and has quickly become one of Finland’s foremost bands specialized in the new music of Buenos Aires, particularly the music of the legendary bandoneonist and composer Astor Piazzolla. In october 2008 Tanguedia Quintet won the 1st price at the international ”Libertango”-competition in Lanciano, Italy. Laura Escalada Piazzolla, was the head of the jury. Tanguedia Quintet has performed widely in their own country, Finland, giving concerts at major concert halls, jazz clubs and festivals. Tanguedia has collaborated with Lohja City Orchestra and Sinfonietta Lentua, singers Angelika Klas, Daniel Bonilla-Torres and Martin Alvarado, bandoneonist-composer Marcelo Nisinman and the famous dancer-choreographers Tommi Kitti (“Tytöt ja Pojat”, 2009) and Nina Hyvärinen (“Tango Argentino”, 2011). Tanguedia Quintet has participated in two different productions of the tango operita “María de Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer (Kuhmo, 2010 and Lohja, 2011). In 2011 Tanguedia also presented a concert with works by Arolas, De Caro, Franco and Piazzolla for tango quintet and string orchestra, together with Sinfonietta Lentua, conducted by Jukka-Pekka Kuusela.

Angelika Klas is known as one of Finland´s most charismatic and talented young singers. She has an exceptionally wide repertoire ranging from opera and operetta to chamber music, musicals and jazz. She is especially known as a performer of Tango and Astor Piazzolla´s strong and sensual music. She has performed widely both in Finland and in Europe as a concert soloist as well as in several opera houses. One of her most important roles is the role of Maria in Astor Piazzolla's opera "Maria de Buenos Aires". The wide range, depth and power of her voice makes her a unique performer, interpreter and artist.

The collaboration between Angelika Klas and Tanguedia Quintet started in 2009 and was an immediate success. The virtuosity of Tanguedia in combination with vocal artistry projected a very profound and deep understanding and interpretation of Tango Nuevo. By now they have performed together in all major concert halls and festivals in Finland and also had successful tours in Sweden, Estonia and Russia. Next autumn they are invited to perform in Paris at the "Paris Banlieues Tango" -festival on the celebration year of Astor Piazzolla.

In march 2009 Tanguedia Quintet released their first album, ”Tanguedia Quintet LIVE: The New Tango of Astor Piazzolla”. The album was immediately praised by critics and the band received special critical acclaim for its stunningly beautiful, authentic sound. The second album, “Tango Querido”, together with the outstanding Angelika Klas, was released in july 2010 on the Seinäjoki Tango Festival. This album that consists of songs by Astor PIazzolla and Daniel Binelli also received outstanding critics.

Since 2011 Angelika Klas and Tanguedia Quintet have broadened their repetoire to cover new works by Finnish composers as well as their own new arrangements of Finnish tango classics bringing the finnish tango from the dance floors to concert halls, jazz clubs and festival stages. Their third album will consist of new, specially commisioned compositions/tangos by finnish contemporary composers Kirmo Lintinen and Jukka Linkola as well as arrangements by Timo Ala-Kotila, Iikka Kotaja, Olli Rantala and Henrik Sandås. The album will be released in October 2012.