Tango Reimagined: Sounds of Passion

Step into a world where tango’s rich traditions meet bold new interpretations. Paris-based bandoneonist Fabrizio Colombo, acclaimed local pianist Sumi Lee and genre- bending violinist Basma Edrees present an evening of captivating solo and duo performances, blending contemporary arrangements with original compositions. From intimate, soulful melodies to exhilarating rhythms, this concert explores tango’s evolving landscape with artistry and innovation. Colombo’s expressive bandoneon and Lee’s dynamic piano weave a musical dialogue that is both timeless and daring. Whether you’re a longtime tango lover or discovering its magic for the first time, this unforgettable night will ignite your senses and stir your soul.

Artist Biographies

Sumi Lee (Pianist)

Ms. Lee is a classically trained pianist and obtained a Master's degree in Music and piano performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has worked with many Bay Area opera companies, choruses, and K-8 schools in the Bay Area. She is also a trained tango pianist from La Orquesta Escuela de Tango Emilio Balcarce, the most prestigious tango orchestra school in Buenos Aires where she studied and performed with living tango maestros such as Víctor Lavallén, Jose Pepe Colangelo, Osvaldo Piro, Roberto Alvarez, Daniel Binelli, Mauricio Marceli, Nicolas Ledesma, Pablo Estigarribia, Cristian Asato, etc. One of the concerts with the Balcarce orchestra at Teatro San Martin in Buenos Aires was sold out and aired live on national radio 2*4 & TV Publica Argentina. Since moving back from Argentina, she has been performing and touring the U.S., South Korea, & Canada. She was invited to perform at San Francisco Int’l Arts Festival 2020, 2021 & 2023 with Bandoneonist Hyeni Solera as a Duo, Las Almas. Her current projects are producing contemporary tango concerts consisting of new works by living composers, including herself, and recording albums that will be released in the fall of 2024.

She was a founding member of the international all-woman, diversity-affirming tango orchestra, "Solidaridad." Also, she founded an artist management company, Golden Gate Int’l Artists, to help artists of diverse cultures & underserved groups to be able to perform and teach their art forms in different countries and cities, especially in the fields of non-popular music such as Argentine Tango, where musicians do not receive sufficient support unless they have already established a name for themselves.

She is a recipient of the 2023 California Non-Profit Performing Arts Grant and the 2023 Intermusic Musical Grant program.

She has served the non-profit organization Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC), San Francisco, a board of directors for a decade for the local community of music teachers and students.

Education: Masters in Music, Piano Performance, SF Conservatory of Music. Certification in the musical language of tango and its various styles given by the Ministry of Culture and Art Education Argentina.

http://www.sumilee.com/

Fabrizio Colombo is a bandoneon player, composer, and arranger, born in 1994 in Mendoza, Argentina, and currently residing in Paris, France. Through his instrument, he has discovered a versatility that allows him to explore a wide variety of musical genres, including tango, jazz, and classical music.

Throughout his career, he has performed as a soloist and chamber musician on stages across South America, the United States, Europe, and Asia, interpreting iconic works such as Astor Piazzolla's “Concierto Aconcagua para Bandoneón, Orquesta de Cuerdas y Percusión,” the opera-tango “María de Buenos Aires” (Astor Piazzolla/Horacio Ferrer), Piazzolla's“Concierto para Bandoneón y Guitarra,” and Martín Palmeri's“Misa a Buenos Aires,” among others.

In 2019, his talent was recognized with the first prize at the International “Che Bandoneón” Competition in Vermont, United States, an achievement that solidified his prestige in the music field. In 2024, he was invited as the bandoneonist of the Quinteto Revolucionario, the official quintet of the Astor Piazzolla Foundation, directed by Astor Piazzolla's widow, Laura Escalada, for a tour in Switzerland and South Korea. That same year, he had the honor of being part of the musical-theatrical piece “The Infamous Ramirez Hoffman” alongside iconic American actor John Malkovich and pianist AnastasyaTerenkova.

He has shared the stage with renowned musicians such as Néstor Marconi, Alexis Cárdenas, Andrej Bielow, Francisco “Pacho” Flores, Juanjo Mosalini, Leo Sujatovich, Carlos Aguirre, Minino Garay, among others. Additionally, he has participated as a session musician in numerous recording productions, notably contributing to the song “Nunca Más” for the soundtrack of the film “1985” by Santiago Mitre, which was nominated for an Oscar. He was also part of the bandoneon section of the prestigious Orquesta del Tango de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, under the direction of NéstorMarconi and Juan Carlos Cuacci, alongside the most distinguished bandoneon players in the country.

Fabrizio grew up in a deeply musical family, immersed in classical music and tango, which allowed him to receive these influences from an early age. He began his training as a violinist at the age of eight, under the tutelage of his father, while simultaneously starting his choral activity with his mother, a lyric singer. Ultimately, he decided to dedicate his professional career to the bandoneon, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Francisco Colombo, a renowned bandoneon player and director of his own typical orchestra, who was a prominent figure in the tango scene in Mendoza.

To date, Fabrizio has released four albums: “Celedonio - Fabrizio Colombo 7teto” (2022), “L'art du duo - Colombo Frontini” (2023), “Afinidad - Pinto Colombo Dúo” (2022), and “Vestigio - Colombo Pérez Colombo” (2020).

Basma Edrees is a graduate of The Juilliard School where she received her Masters in Violin Performance and Mannes School of Music where she received her Bachelors degree. She studied with Joseph Lin, Laurie Smukler, Sally Thomas, and Catherine Van Hoesen. Basma has performed under the batons of many great conductors including Alan Gilbert and Daniel Barenboim. Basma has served as Associate Concert Master of the Oakland Symphony during their 2015-2016 season. She has also been invited to sub for the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, San Jose Opera Orchestra as well as the Santa Rosa Symphony.

Basma has performed as a soloist in various countries including the USA, Montenegro, Ethiopia and her native country, Egypt.

Equally at home with Arabic music, Basma is the founder of Music in-Takht; an instrumental ensemble dedicated to preserving Egyptian musical heritage in the SF Bay Area.