Richard Galliano Piazzolla Forever Septet Tango Project

Richard Galliano – accordion, bandoneon Jean-Marc Phillips Varjabedian – violin Marc Vieillefon – violin Jean Paul Minali Bella – viol Eric Levionnois – cello Stephane Logerot – bass Dimitri Naiditch – piano www.richardgalliano.com Euphrasian Basilica, Poreč, July 7, at 21,30

Richard Galliano (born in 1950, in Cannes, France) started playing the accordion at the age of four, under the influence of his father Luciene. During his education at the Nice Conservatoire, he also studied harmony, counterpoint and trombone, and it was the discovery of the music of the trumpeter that introduced him to , at the age of fourteen.

In 1973 Galliano moved up to Paris where he spent several years as composer, arranger and conductor in 's band and played on recordings of Charles Aznavour, Juliette Gréco and many other artists. At that time, he also started playing more often with jazz musicians from all backgrounds. In 1983 invited Richard Galliano to be the bandoneon soloist in his original music for the theatre production of „A Midsummer Night's Dream“. It was the beginning of a long friendship which lasted until Piazzolla's death in 1992.

From the beginning of 1980-ies until today, Galliano has shared the stage with many jazz greats (Chet Baker, , Joe Zawinul, Charlie Haden, , Hermeto Pascoal, Wynton Marsalis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba… to mention just some of them). He has recorded dozens of albums as a leader, received numerous awards and participated at many praised musical projects. Thanks to his musical mastery, Galliano has made the accordion an instrument equal to other instruments and introduced it into jazz festivals and classical music concert halls.

The tenth anniversary of the death of his friend Astor Piazzolla was marked by Galliano's live album Piazzolla Forever, released by Dreyfus Jazz and recorded with his Piazzolla Forever Septet. This unique septet gave 250 concerts all over the world in the following three years, playing at both jazz festivals and classical venues (Nice Jazz festival, Amsterdam Concerttown, Montreux Jazz Festival, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées etc). In June 2005, the septet returned to the exact place where the project had been launched, to Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, to record the live DVD Piazzolla Forever.

Just before the beginning of a new tour, which will mark the twentieth anniversary of Astor Piazzolla's death, Richard Galliano and his top septet will honor us by playing at St. Euphrasius Basilica, within the second edition of Valamar Jazz Festival.