Minneapolis-based composer and bandoneonist Charles Gorczynski works in contemporary tango, new music, and studio production. He leads the acclaimed modern tango outfits Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet and Redwood Tango Ensemble, and is the director of the Twin Cities Tango Collective.
“Lovely contrapuntal melodies and kaleidoscopic harmonic explorations… gorgeous music that brings to mind the serene aesthetic of ECM records” - Chicago Reader
Charles is a deeply established musician and community organizer with a distinct voice in creative new music, stemming from his upbringing in jazz/improvised music and decades of tango composition and performance. His projects Redwood Tango Ensemble and Colorlist have toured North America and Europe extensively, playing hundreds of performances annually and producing four albums of original contemporary tango music. Charles has premiered his compositions with Chamber Music Northwest Festival and the San Francisco International Arts Festival, worked with the Buenos Aires-based Tango Sin Fin organization for their programs with Reed College, and is regularly commissioned for new works for tango chamber ensemble. As bandoneonist he has worked with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Chorale, the California Symphony, Vocal Essence at Orchestra Hall, Mason Bates’ Mercury Soul Orchestra, and many other orchestral and chamber music 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 Los Tangueros Del Oeste.
“A force in modern sound design…” - Jazz Times
On the production side, Charles has produced and contributed to hundreds of albums. He licenses and composes bespoke music for various media, and has worked with record labels Serein Records, Ropeadope, 482 Music, Ears and Eyes Records, Front Forty Press and Caverns Records.
“This music behaves like a dream... a new direction from an artist that is known for them.”
