Biography

He plays a toccata and fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach on the bandoneon… If the Leipzig Thomaskantor had been able to listen to Massa’s profound and at the same time dance-like lightness of touch, he would certainly have composed entire solo suites for his instrument. Massa is one of the greats in his field and is just as at home in baroque music as he is in Argentinian tango.”

Süddeutsche Zeitung 2018 (Germany)

 

“Omar Massa is one of the most brilliant Argentine bandoneonists of recent years.”

Diario de Cuyo (Argentina)

 

“…With his own compositions, he builds bridges to classical music without losing the inner melancholy of true tango nuevo. Massa catapults the music of Buenos Aires into the 21st century.”

Presto Music (United Kingdom)

Composer and bandoneon player Omar Massa was born in Buenos Aires in 1981 and has lived in Berlin since 2019. Internationally recognised as one of the leading artists in the field of Tango Nuevo and the bandoneon, he has been performing on the world’s major stages for years. He has worked on projects with internationally renowned artists such as Placido Domingo, Jonas Kaufmann, Daniel Hope, Paquito D’Rivera, Alondra de La Parra, Guy Braunstein, Fatma Said, Pablo Ferrandez, Bruno Delepelaire, Alexis Cardenas, Ute Lemper, Sarah McKenzie and Kai Strobel. Highlights include his solo debuts in 2023 with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne at the Cologne Philharmonie, with musicians and the choir of the Essen Philharmonie at the RWE Pavillon in Essen, his collaboration with violinist Daniel Hope on the recording of his album “Dance! (Deutsche Grammophon), including a release concert at the Yellow Lounge in 2024, as well as recordings with tenor Jonas Kaufmann for his CD “The Sound of Movies” released by Sony Classical in 2023.

In addition, Omar Massa was awarded the Bandoneon Prize of the city of Krefeld, Germany, in 2023 (the city where the bandoneon was developed by Heinrich Band).

Also in 2023, he collaborated with New York ballet soloist Unity Phelan, among others, who danced Massa’s music at the PAAX GNP Festival.

Massa has also performed as a soloist with symphonic orchestras such as the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Asturias Symphony Orchestra, the Romanian National Radio Orchestra, the Moldavian Philharmonic, the Biel Symphony Orchestra and the Brasov Philharmonic, as well as numerous other orchestras in America and Europe.

He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in several major concert halls, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (New York), the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the National Concert Hall (Dublin), the Colon Theatre (Buenos Aires), the Berlin Konzerthaus (Germany), the Palace of Fine Arts (Mexico), the George Enescu Festival (Bucharest) and the Berlin Philharmonie.

His concerts and tours outside Argentina have been declared “culturally and artistically significant for the country of Argentina” by the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As a composer, Massa is dedicated to bringing the legacy of Tango Nuevo into the 21st century and has composed numerous works for various ensembles and received several commissions in Europe and America. His “Concerto for Bandoneon and Chamber Orchestra” was premiered in the Berlin Philharmonie and later recorded for a CD production together with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mark Laycock. His “Stradivarius Duo” was recorded and premiered at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. Massa’s “Tango Etude” and “The Light from Andalusia” were premiered at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and “Negro Liso” and “Tango Lullaby” at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. His work “Caminos y Desvios” had its world premiere at the Konzerthaus Berlin and “Suite Patagonia” and “Concertango” at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico. His “Interlude for Bandoneon and Strings” was performed for the first time at the National University in Brasilia.

As a composer, Massa has also been the musical director of various theatre and dance projects, such as the 2014 production of Eugene O’Neill’s play “A Touch of the Poet”, directed by Barry Primus (Actors Studio-American Film Institute) with choreography by Julie Arenal (original choreographer of “Hair” on Broadway).

Praised in Argentina as “one of the most brilliant bandoneonists of recent years” (Diario de Cuyo, Argentina), Omar made his debut at the age of 6 playing Piazzolla’s music at Café Tortoni, a famous traditional tango house in Buenos Aires, and then began studying music at the National Conservatory of Argentina at the age of 12. After being nominated for the most important prize in the Argentinian record industry for his CD “Tribute to Piazzolla”, Astor Piazzolla’s family invited him to play Piazzolla’s bandoneon 25 years after his death – Massa is the only musician to have been allowed to do so to date.

“…and he will always (and rightly) be described as the legitimate successor to Piazzolla.”

Crescendo Magazine (Germany)

Audio/Video

Photos

Photographer: Michael Reinicke

Discography

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Concerto repertoire

Tango for bandoneon and chamber/string orchestra

Astor Piazzolla
Bandoneon Concerto “Aconcagua” for Bandoneon, Strings Orchestra and Percussion (20 minutes)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTH4h6RCxg&t=5s
“3 Tangos” for Soloist Bandoneon, Strings Orchestra and Percussion (20 minutes)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alUkH-iPc48
“Suite Punta del Este” (18 minutes) for Soloist Bandoneon and Chamber Orchestra (strings orchestra and woodwinds)  
“Double Concerto” for Bandoneon and Guitar with String Orchestra (16 minutes)
“Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” (25 minutes) arranged for Bandoneon and String Orchestra.
“Five Tango Sensations” (28 minutes) Bandoneon and String Orchestra,  Original for Bandoneon and String Quartet but commonly played with complete string section.
Instrumental pieces selection arranged for  Bandoneon soloist and String Orchestra: “Adios Nonino”, “Oblivion”, “La muerte del Angel” , “Libertango”,  “Milonga del Angel”, “Fuga y Misterio”, etc. 

 

Kurt Weill
 – Youkali
– Wie Lange noch?
– Complainte de la Seine

(Spieldauer insgesamt 13 min.)

 

Omar Massa

Tango Concerto for Bandoneon, Piano and String Orchestra  (15 minutes), comissioned by the Embassy of Argentina in Germany for the Gala concert in Berlin Philarmonic on May 2019. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the partner city arrangement between Berlin and Buenos Aires under the auspices of the Embassy of Argentina together with the Berlin Senator for culture and Europe.

 

Baroque with bandoneon and chamber/string orchestra

G. F. Haendel
  • Organ Concerto (Bandoneon version by Omar Massa) HWV 309 – Op. 7 No. 4 in D minor  (16 minutes) Bandoneon and Chamber Orchestra
A. Vivaldi
  • Concerto for Harpsichord (Bandoneon version by Omar Massa)  RV 780, in A major (10 minutes) Bandoneon and String Orchestra
  A. Marcello
Oboe Concerto (Bandoneon version by Omar Massa) SF 935 – Op.1 , in D minor(10 minutes) Bandoneon and String Orchestra

J. S. Bach
  • Harpsichord Concerto (Bandoneon version by Omar Massa) BWV 1055   – in A Major (15 minutes) Bandoneon and String Orchestra

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Programmes Recitals/Chamber Music

 A) bandoneon + violin, cello and piano (Boulanger Trio)

Program 1

Astor Piazzolla
Michelangelo 70
Oblivion
Tangata Final

Omar Massa
Tango Meditation n1
Buenos Aires Ritual
Buenos Aires Resonances

– Pause –

Omar Massa
Kageliana
Canto del Payun Matru
Tango Legacy

Astor Piazzolla
Soledad
La Muerte del Angel
Milonga del Angel
Adios Nonino

 

2) From Baroque to Nuevo Tango

Astor Piazzolla

Oblivion

Johann Sebastian Bach

Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 553 (bandoneon)

Alberto Ginastera

Danza de la Moza Donosa

Nadia Boulanger

Trois pieces for violoncello and piano

Sergei Rachmaninow

Trio Élégiaque no. 1 in g minor

Astor Piazzolla

Adiós Nonino and Guga y misterio
Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas

_______________

 

B) Bandoneon + Violin

SOLO BANDONEON

Joseph de Torres y Vergara
“Obra de lleno de séptimo tono” , Latein Amerikanischer Barock  (5 min 10s)
or
G. Frescobaldi

Toccata N7 for Organ from “Secondo Libro di Toccate e Canzone” (1637) (4 min)?

SOLO VIOLIN
J.S. Bach

excerpts from Partita by J.S. Bach (5 min)

VIOLINE & BANDONEON
A. Corelli

violin sonata in C major no. 3, Op. 5 (12 min)

H. Eccles

violin sonata in g minor (9 min)

A. Vivaldi

violin sonata in d minor, RV 12 (12min)

A. Piazzolla

“Ave Maria” (6 min)

Intermission

SOLO BANDONEON 
A. Piazzolla

“Lo que vendra” (5 min)

SOLO VIOLIN
A. Piazzolla

Tango Etude 3 or 4 (4 min)

VIOLIN & BANDONEON
A. Piazzolla

“Bruno & Sarah” (3 min)
“Calambre” (2 min)
“History of Tango”: Bordel 1900, Cafe 1930, Nightclub 1960, Concert d’aujourd’hui (20 min)
“Oblivion” (5 min)

O. Massa, “Avincis Tango” (click4 min 37s)

Encore:
Astor Piazzolla, “Libertango” (2min 30sec)

 ___________________

 

C) Bandoneon + Piano 

J.S. BachConcerto in A Major BWV 1055  (15 min)

MarcelloConcerto in d minor SF 935 – Op.1 (10 min)

J.S. BachSonata in c minor BWV 1017 (16 min)

Intermission

Astor Piazzolla

“Historie du Tango”: (22 min)I. Bordel 1900. II Cafe 1930.  III  Nightclub 1960. IV Concert d’aujourd’hui.

Omar Massa

– Astor’s Voice (Negro Liso) (3m30s)

– Tango Lullaby  (4 min)

Astor Piazzolla

Adios Nonino“ (8 min), Libertango (3:45)

 ___________________

 

D) Bandoneon, Violine, Viola,

Solo Bandoneon
J.S. Bach

Prelude and Fugue in d minor, BWV 554 (4 min)

Joseph de Torres y Vergara

“Obra de lleno de séptimo tono”. Latin American Baroque from National Cathedral of Mexico (5 min)

Violin, Viola and Bandoneon
A. Corelli

Violin Sonata no. 3 Op. 5 (12 min)  

J.S. Bach

Viola Sonata no. 3, BWV 1029 (14 min)

A. Piazzolla

“Ave Maria” (6 min)    

Pause  

Solo Bandoneon  
A. Piazzolla 

“Pedro y Pedro”  (3m 30s)

Violin & Bandoneon
A. Piazzolla

“Bruno & Sarah” and “Calambre” (5 min) 

Violin, Viola and Bandoneon
A. Piazzolla
Bordel 1900 (4 min)
,, Cafe 1930″ (6 min)
,,Nightclub 1960″ (5 min) 
“Oblivion” (5 min)     

“Adios Nonino” (6 min) 

O. Massa

“Avincis Tango” (4m 30s)

Encore:  Astor Piazzolla 
“Libertango” (2min 30sec)

 

 ___________________

 

E) Bandoneon, Violin, Viola, Cello

Frescobaldi 

Toccata no. 7 for Organ from “Secondo Libro di Toccate e Canzone”

J.S. Bach

Prelude and fugue no. 1 from “8 small Preludes and fugues for organ”, BWV 553-560

Vivaldi

Cello sonata in a minor RV 43

Corelli

Violin Sonata no. 3, Op. 5

Astor Piazzolla 

Ave Maria

Intermission

Astor Piazzolla
Lo que vendrá,
Bruno & Sarah,
Calambre,
Night Club 1960,
Oblivion,
Milonga Loca,
Café 1930,

Adiós Nonino 

 ___________________

 

F) Bandoneon, Guitar (with Jerzy Chwastyk)

Bandoneon and Guitar
A.Piazzolla

Adios Nonino (6:30)

A. Piazzolla

Ave Maria (5:20)

Guitar Solo
Isaac Albéniz

Sevilla (5:30)

Bandoneon and Guitar
Manuel de Falla

Suite Populaire Espagnole (14 min)

Bandoneon Solo
O. Massa

Negro liso-Astor’s Voice (3:30)

Bandoneon and Guitar
A. Piazzolla

Libertango (3:45 min)

(39 minutes)

Intermission

Bandoneon and Guitar
A. Marcello

Concerto in d minor (10 min)

Guitar Solo
I. Albeniz

Capricho Catalan (4 min)

Bandoneon and Guitar
O. Massa

Tango Lullaby (4 min)

A. Piazzolla

“History of Tango” (22 min)
Bordel 1900, Cafe 1930, Nightclub 1960, Concert d’aujourd’hui

(40 minutes)

All arrangements by Omar Massa

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