Grammy-nominated violinist Michael Guttman is a renowned Belgian artist and music director of prestigious festivals worldwide. A celebrated chamber musician, he regularly collaborates with distinguished artists such as Martha Argerich, Elena Bashkirova, Guy Braunstein, Boris Berezovsky, Vadim Repin, Antoine Tamestit, and Maxim Vengerov.
While widely known for his chamber music expertise, few know Michael also harbors a guilty pleasure: his deep passion for tango music. In the late eighties, Guttman’s encounter with legendary “tango nuevo” creator and Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla reinforced his passion for tango music and encouraged him to create the Guttman Tango Ensemble.
To follow Piazzolla’s tenure, Guttman decided to surround himself with some of the most refined tango specialists in Europe: French-Chilean bandoneonist Lysandre Donoso, Belgian pianist Ivo De Greef, cellist Stijn Kuppens, and Argentine double bassist Ariel Eberstein.
These musicians have accompanied Guttman in prestigious festivals such as: Pietrasanta en Concerto (Italy), Odesa Classics (Ukraine), Crans Montana Classics (Switzerland), POLIN Museum Festival (Poland), Trans-Siberian Art Festival (Russia), Paris Printemps du Violon (France), Corfu and Patmos International Music Festivals (Greece) among others. It is worth highlighting the invitation of the legendary pianist Martha Argerich to her own festival at the Laeiszhalle of Hamburg. Said presentation was part of a record production (7CD) called “Rendez-Vous With Martha Argerich” released on the Avanti-Classic label.
The Michael Guttman Tango Ensemble’s new program, “CLASSICAL MUSIC MEETS TANGO,” features a unique blend of violin, cello, double bass, bandoneón, and piano, bridging Argentine tango with European classical traditions.
The ensemble’s latest offering presents a diverse range of tango arrangements by French composer Chloé Pfeiffer, drawing inspiration from iconic classical works such as Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik (“Musiquita Nocturna”), Mendelssohn’s Die Hebriden (“Mano Sinistra”), and Mahler’s First Symphony (“Hermano Gustavo”).
This new repertoire was recorded at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in January 2025, with the ensemble’s debut album “From Another World” set for release on August 7, 2026, at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival during the 2026-2027 season.
