Suite from Maria de Buenos Aires - Astor Piazzolla - IWCB

IWCB Wind Symphony plays Suite from Maria de Buenos Aires by Astor Piazzolla (arr. Steven Verhelst) https://iwcb.org.au The tango opera María de Buenos Aires premiered at the Sala Planeta, Buenos Aires, in 1968, with music by Astor Piazzolla and libretto by Horacio Ferrer. The surrealist story centres on María, born under the curse of the goblin, El Duende. After her untimely death, María's shadow is summoned back to Buenos Aires to walk the city; she miraculously gives birth to a child, who may be herself. The music showcases Piazzolla's nuevo tango style, which he pioneered along with a group of Argentine musicians in the second half of the 20th century. They produced an evolution in the tango style by introducing new harmonies, structures, and instruments such as the saxophone and electric guitar. The suite performed here is a selection of music from the opera in four movements: "Yo Soi Maria", "Balada", "Habanera" and "Fuga Y Misterio". Our Conductor - Joshua McNulty: Graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium in 2015, Joshua is a conductor, composer and educator. Primarily a reed player, he has recently started to dive into brass instruments in addition to his conducting and education work. His studies with Dr John Lynch and Dr Anthony Clarke helped him build a solid foundation in conducting which have grown significantly while working with The FilmHarmonia Orchestra (founder and MD) the Inner West Community Band (MD), the Macquarie University Symphony Orchestra, the Canaria Scoring Orchestra, the Wellington Players, and the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra. As an educator, Joshua directs numerous school bands across Sydney as well as tutoring many students on their instruments. Joshua has always had a keen interest in music written with a narrative, especially as a composer and is very grateful to have had works premiered by both FilmHarmonia and IWCB. Joshua is especially proud to be given the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the Australian wind band community through his appointment as MD of the Inner West Community Band. IWCB and Amigoss Association were thrilled to present ¡Viva la Sinfonía! – A Celebration of Latin American Music on 27th June 2026. We extend our thanks to the Consulates of Chile, Argentina, Perú and Brazil, and to the Guimarães Rosa Institute, for their support of this concert. MUSICIANS (first listed = principal) Piccolo: Alex Woof Flute: Chiara Esber, Rebecca Thomas, Anna Ward, Alex Woof, Victor Zhu, Lauren Ziegler Clarinet: Simon Parker, Daniela Bantle, Briony Bowman, Elizabeth Dedman, Ashleigh Finn, Danielle Keogh, Amelie Nemes, Hélène Pino, Amanda Sapienza Bass Clarinet: Eloise Kershler, Linda Mann, Richard Price Oboe: Greg Knight Bassoon: Sam Herriman, Jaslyn Nash Soprano Saxophone: Eliza Harvey Alto Saxophone: Eliza Harvey, Jordon Blanket, Roxanne Macara Tenor Saxophone: Eamon Byrne, Oliver Rajaratnam Trumpet: Adam Griffiths, Will Gilbert, Rachael Hughes, Micah Napier, Danika Pink, Kate Wilson French Horn: Adrian Barnes, Jennifer Gunn, Lauren Patterson Trombone: Conor Bratty, Emma Dortins, Vicki Sifniotis Euphonium: David Crawford Tuba: Cathy Chan, Sohtaka Kikuchi Double Bass: Greta Lee Timpani: Ryan Mestric Percussion: Andrea Leong, Sujin Kang, Alexandra Moutevelidis, Ryan Whitford Piano: Hélène Pino Voice: Micah Napier, Linda Mann