Orquesta Típica
La Gentuza
The Musicians
Javier Toledo piano
From Montevideo, Uruguay, Javier completes his Bachelor in Music Performance (Piano Studies) at the School of Music of the University of the Republic of Uruguay in 2011. Afterward, he wins a position as as Assistant Professor to the Chair of Music Reading (piano) in the School of Music of the University of the Republic. In 2010, he wins the First Prize in the Ciudad de Montevideo Piano Competition, performing with the Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra under Stanley Rush.
Javier is currently completing two Masters degrees, one at the Institute of Music and Pedagogy (Namur, Belgium) and a second in Fortepiano at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
Javier has accompanied some of the most important Uruguayan and Argentine tango musicians and has played with Tango Sur Sexteto, Cuarteto El Chamuyo, Orquesta Destaoriya and Orquesta Montevideo Tango. In 2009, he also founds the Orquesta Típica Mil Nueve Cuarenta, for which he also conducts and arranges.
Lysandre Donoso bandoneon
Lysandre Donoso begins studying accordion at the Conservatory of Lyon, France in 1998. After completion in 2008, he dedicates himself entirely to the bandoneon under the tutelage of master bandoneonists Hervé Esquis, Victor Villena, Roger Helou, Gustavo Beytelmann and William Sabatier. He currently is involved in a number of projects, notably the Orchestra and Quartet Silbando and the Orchestra Silencio.
Katrien Bos double bass
After many happy years with her violin, a 16-year-old Katrien Bos finds her great love: the double bass. While at the Rotterdam conservatory completing her studies in classical double bass, she becomes hypnotized by the Argentine tango. She has played for years in groups such as Quinteto Astor and Cantango (Argentine Tango), and Rueda Libre (new compositions in a mixture of tango and jazz) as well as Wè-nun Henk (folk), Balacordes (balfolk), Clochard (folk), bos ‘n’ bass (solo project with double bass and loop-station) and many others.
She also enjoys composing her own music which is inspired by the European folk repertoire, Argentine tango, and experimentation with modern sounds.
Astro Rocco violin
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Astro starts violin lessons with Olga Szurpik and Oleg Pishenin. He graduates from the University Institute of the Arts (IUNA) under H. Nicastro, and is currently finishing his Masters with Karen Aroutiounian at the Royal Conservatory of Liège (Belgium).
He has been concertmaster of many orchestras including the Academic Orchestra of the Teatro Colón, National Youth Orchestra of the Bicentenary, and Youth Orchestra of the Grand Région. He also works as a freelance musician for the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Teatro Colón and is a member of the World Orchestra. As a tango violinist, he has taken masterclasses with Ramiro Gallo and Leonardo Ferreyra, among others, and played in ensembles such as the Alejandro Ziegler Quarter, touring several times in Europe. As a soloist, he performs “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by A. Piazzolla with the Octans Ensemble (Düsseldorf, Germany).
Pablo García cello
From Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pablo obtains studies Cello and Piano Performance and Composition at the Superior Conservatory 'Manuel de Falla' and the University Institute of the Arts (IUNA). He has played with the National Symphonic Orchestra of Argentina since 2009.
As a cellist, he has played in the most important theaters in Argentina with a large variety of orchestral, chamber, 'popular' music, and contemporary ensembles including: the Academic Orchestra of the Teatro Colón, Ibero-American Youth Orchestra, Orquesta Típica 'Winco', Rascasuelos, and Ensemble 'Nuevos Aires', among many others. He has also recorded with with artists like Juan Quintero, Arturo Sandoval, Chaucoco! and César Pueyrredón. In 2010, he wins 2nd place in the 'Nicolas Finoli' competition.
As a composer and arranger, his work spans many musical genres, from contemporary music and song-writing to popular Argentine forms, particularly tango and 'folklore', of which he has written pieces for cello, piano, and string ensemble'. With this material, he has collaborated with the well-known rock idol Luis Alberto Spinetta, the Academic Orchestra of the Teatro Colón and his own musical ensembles. Currently, he plays with Trash à Cordes and is completing a Masters in Cello Performance at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Vivian Spanoghe.
Nicole Miller violin
From the United States, Nicole studies violin performance with Walter Schwede as well as Mathematics and Languages at Western Washington University. Following her Bachelors, she falls in love with tango and Argentine culture during her travels through Latin America. Although she later goes on to complete a Masters in Translation and Interpretation in Barcelona, she definitively returns to the musical realm, where she studies viola with Tony Nys at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Her other musical interests teaching Suzuki violin, voice, American folk music, and currently plays with Trash à Cordes.
