FREE Courtroom Concert: Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet

Hosted by composer Abbie Betinis, our popular Courtroom Concerts take place at noon most Thursdays in the Landmark Center in downtown Saint Paul. This series features accomplished musicians and composers from the Twin Cities and surrounding area, as well as occasional musical newcomers to the area. These one-hour concerts are free and open to the public.

• Charles Gorczynski, BANDONEON
• Devon Moran, VIOLIN
• Alex Woods, PIANO
• Nick Gaudette, BASS

About the Artists:

Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet performs the music of iconic tango bandoneonist Astor Piazzolla, as well as their own cutting-edge contemporary tango music. The quartet is known for visceral live performances and original music that crosses modern tango, chamber music, new classical, and far-reaching contemporary influences. A forward-driven acoustic powerhouse featuring bandoneonist Charles Gorczynski, violinist Devan Moran, pianist Alex Woods, and bassist Nick Gaudette.

Minneapolis-based composer and bandoneonist Charles Gorczynski works in contemporary tango, new music, and studio production. He is the director of Minneapolis-based Twin Cities Tango Collective and Minnesota Tango Music Festival, and his projects Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet, Redwood Tango Ensemble, and Colorlist have toured North America and Europe extensively, playing thousands of tango events around the world. Charles has released five albums of original contemporary tango music and premiered his compositions with Chamber Music Northwest Festival and the San Francisco International Arts Festival, worked with Buenos Aires based organization Tango Sin Fin, and has been featured soloist with the Bear Valley Symphony, Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Chorale, Vocal Essence at Orchestra Hall, Mercury Soul Orchestra, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, and many other organizations. Charles has recorded and toured with international tango projects, including Mariano Barreiro Tango Trio, Tango BC Quartet, Alejandro Ziegler Cuarteto, Maxi Larrea Trio, Maldito Tango, and the Latin Grammy nominated Los Tangueros Del Oeste.

Alexander Woods is a pianist and music teacher living in the Twin Cities, MN. A versatile and collaborative musician, his passions include art song, instrumental and chamber works, choral music, contemporary piano repertoire, and a variety of jazz and popular styles. He strives to maintain an innovative perspective in his performances, seeking out new and old works from diverse genres and composers. As tango pianist he is a member of Orquesta Típica Kingfield and the Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet, and has worked with Exequiel Mantega and Pablo Jaurena. Woods is a Lecturer of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he teaches applied piano lessons, class piano, and an honors colloquium exploring music and gender. He holds additional positions at Central Presbyterian Church (St. Paul) and Voices of Hope Prison Music Initiative, and has also spent summers as a staff pianist at Borromeo Music Festival (Altdorf, Switzerland), International Cello Institute (Northfield, MN), and St. Croix Valley Opera Summer Vocal Institute (Hudson, WI). As a freelance pianist and vocal coach, Woods has worked at UW-Eau Claire, the University of Minnesota, Gustavus Adolphus College, and the NATS, Schubert Club, and Thursday Musical competitions. He has also played with the Mississippi Valley Orchestra, Dakota Valley Symphony & Chorus, South Metro Chorale, and St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral Orchestra.

Violinist Devan Moran is a founding member of Twin Cities Tango Collective, Orquesta Tipica Kingfield, and Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet. He has studied tango with Guillermo Rubino (Diego Schissi Quinteto, Sur Del Sur), offered workshops to local violinists interested in the style, and served as lead violinist for the resident ensemble of Tango Sin Fin at Reed College. Devan holds a BM from North Park University in Chicago, and studied with the assistant concertmaster and principal violist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has also studied with Young-Nam Kim in Minnesota and Lina Bahn at the University of Colorado Boulder. Devan also performs widely with the Laurels String Quartet and 10th Wave Chamber Music Collective.

Bassist Nick Gaudette picked up a cello and tuned it as a bass at the age of 5 and has continued playing classical and non-classical music ever since. After completing a Bachelors and Masters in Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Nick helped form the chamber music fiddle project called The Orange Mighty Trio, which has performed across the country including both coasts ranging from Seattle to L.A. to NYC in addition to writing scores for multiple indie films and commercials. Nick has performed with the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, Theater Latte Da, The Children’s Theater, The South Dakota Symphony, as well as various other groups across the midwest. He is also a progressive composer writing works for the Trio, local modern dance companies, the Macalaster big band, as well as writing and co-directing the eclectic new-age ensembles called the Cherry Spoon Collective. He was a recipient of the 416 Club Commissions by the Cedar Cultural Center as well as a State Arts Board Artists Initiative grant. Originally a part time educator and full time performer, Nick was given the opportunity to head the music department at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (SPCPA) where he set an intense high school musical arts curriculum on aspiring 21st century artists in grades 9-12. While at SPCPA, Nick returned to get his MN teaching license along with a Master of Arts in Teaching from Mankato State University. Shortly after receiving his official teaching credentials, Nick took the position at Edina High School where he resides today. As the conductor of Sinfonia, Varsity, and Concert Orchestra, Nick has recorded with the EHS Chamber Orchestra in Studio M at MPR and has traveled with the EHS symphony orchestra on an international tour to the Western Caribbean. He is also a recipient of the Edina Education Fund grants for classroom teachers.