Beogradska Tango Asocijacija :: Belgrade Tango Association

Belgrade tango quintet

The ensemble Beltango was founded in 1998 with the objective to introduce to the music lovers the culture and music of Tango. Depending on the possibilities and requirements of a specific stage, the ensemble “Beltango” is equally successful in performing on large concert podiums, theater stages , smaller chamber rooms, jazz and tango clubs, as well as in other exclusive halls, where, the spirit of Buenos Aires revives. In its public performances, the ensemble “Beltango” is trying to present to the audience all abundance of the tango repertoire, so that, apart from traditional tango numbers, as well as compositions of tango-nuevo trend of Astor Piazzolla, it includes also new compositions of contemporary authors who find their inspiration in tango, but all in adhering to its basic idea, they do not hesitate to make small excursions to some other musical trends, specially to Balkan music, and combine them with tango.

Beltango already performed at many international festivals with great success and collaborate with many famous tango artists from all over the world - Argentina, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Greece, Japan, France, Russia, Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia, Macedonia.

The documentary movie “Bandoneón” was made in the production of TV BK which followed the progressing road of ensemble Beltango, and the appearance of the first authentic bandoneón in former Yugoslavia.

They published three CD’s:

“Beltango Nuevo plays Piazzolla”, 2001.

„Beltango en Vivo!“, 2004.

„Beltango Trilogia“, 2007.

and DVD „Piazzollando“, 2006.

Beltango is only one tango orchestra from Europe which is invited by Ministry of culture of Buenos Aires to perform at most prestigious „World Tango Festival – Buenos Aires 2007“
Every September, together with „Belgrade Tango Association“, Beltango is host of „International Belgrade Tango Festival“.

Beltango brings together five gifted young artists:
Aleksandar Nikolic (bandoneon/accordion) Born in 1973. He has attended Music School "Vuckovic" continuing later his education at "Musical Academy" in Bratislava - Slovakia, where he has postgraduated in the class of professor Boris Lenko in 1997. He is laureate of international competitions "Citta di Castelfidardo" and "Premio Stefano Bizzari - Morro d'oro". He had series of concerts inland and abroad. He performed like soloist, music of Astor Piazzolla with all important Serbian symphony and chamber orchestras (Belgrade philharmonic orchestra, Symphony orchestra of RTS, Symphony orchestra of Army Stanislav Binicki, St George strings ...). His passion for tango made him the only musician who plays bandoneon in Serbia. He collaborated with many artists and connect sound of bandoneon and tango together with different kinds of arts. (Mira Erceg - National theatre director / Goethe Faust, Jadranka Jovanovic - opera singer, Zoran Eric - composer, Negativ - pop music group, Silvia Monros - novelist, Knez - popular singer, Costas Cotsiolis - guitarist, Dejan Djurovic - actor...) He works as director of State Music Conservatorium "Dr Vojislav Vuckovic" in Belgrade. He is founder of Belgrade Tango Association and artistic director of International Belgrade Tango Festival.

Jovan Bogosavljevic (violin) Born in 1980. In 1993, at the age of twelve, Jovan Bogosavljevic won the first prize and Golden medal at the International Music Competition in Stresa, Italy, as the youngest competitor in his group. In 1996, at the age of fifteen, he took part at the 6^th International Music Competition in Tortona, Italy, and he was declared the Absolute Winner of the Competition. He gave a large number of concerts, playing as a soloist with piano, the chamber orchestras and symphony orchestras in Serbia and Montenegro, Republic of Serbia, Bohemia, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Turkey, England, Belgium… Besides, many of his performances have been broadcast both on radio and TV programmes and his CD, produced by PGP RTS, appeared on October 1998. His participation at the 30^th BEMUS last autumn was also a great success. Foundation of Prof. Merry Zezelj-Mayer chose Jovan Bogosavljevic on the suggestion of String instruments department Faculty of Music in Belgrade as the best violinist in 1999 year, and gave him this prestigious reward. With a great success, in 2001/2002 he finished post-graduate studies at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Music, in class of Prof. Tatjana Olujic, and 2002/2003 he finished post-graduate studies at Brussels Royal Conservatory, in class of Prof. Igor Oistrakh.

Ivana Nikolic (piano/vocal) born in 1975 in Belgrade. She graduated from Faculty of Musical Art in Belgrade, in the class of professor Tijana Humo in 1998, and she also graduated solo-singing studies in the class of professor Aleksandra Ivanovic at the same time. She is the winner of numerous prizes at competitions and festivals of young artists in Serbia and former Yugoslavia. She also occupies herself with pedagogical work, as a piano teacher in Music School "Vuckovic". She is unique tango artist, because on the stage she presents herself as tango pianist, tango singer and tango dancer. She performed like soloist with Symphony orchestra of Army Stanislav Binicki. She is active member of Belgrade Tango Association and member of organization bord of International Belgrade Tango Festival.

Bogdan Pejic (el.guitar) born in 1981. He has attended Music School "Manojlovic" in the class of professor Dejan Sazdanovic. He is finishing Faculty of Musical Art in Belgrade - classic guitar section in the class of professor Srdjan Tosic. He also plays electric guitar and is interested with jazz music. He is the winner of numerous prizes at domestic music competitions. He works as professor of guitar in the Music school "Jenko".

Ljubinko Lazic (double bass) Born in 1979, in the family of musicians, Ljubinko took his first double bass lesson with Professor Goran Kerleta in Novi Sad University of Music in 1993. In 1998 he was accepted to the Montenegro University of Music, where he studied with Professor Pavel Askamit and received his first music diploma of excellence in 2001. In the same year, Mr. Lazic has received a Third Prize in the International Double Bass Competition in Kromeriz (Czech Republic). He was also a first prize winner of four national contests in his native Serbia. In 2002 Ljubinko was accepted into a class of Professor Trumpf in the University of Music and Theater in Munich, Germany. As a member of the renowned double bass quartet ‘Bassiona Amorosa’, Mr. Lazic received the Prize of the European Culture from the President of Germany Johannes Rau. Besides the soloist appearances, Ljubinko played in such orchestras as Philharmonic of the Nations, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Austria, and Symphony Orchestra of Munich.

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