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Latin GRAMMY—winning bassist and composer Pedro Giraudo is widely recognized as one of today's leading tango musicians. With a trajectory of over 2 decades, and having performed alongside top tango artists such as Pablo Ziegler and Paquito D’Rivera amongst others. Giraudo has served as a passionate ambassador of Argentina's tango tradition, blending tango, jazz, and classical influences in his compositions.

His latest album, Strata, released in November 2024, is a collaborative project with the Idaho State—Civic Symphony, conductor Nell Flanders, the Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet (PGTQ), and the ISU Commercial Music Program at Idaho State University.

● Read more: “Choosing the Poet to Sing it”: The Powerful Voice of Rosario Armas.

The album captures the layered intricacy of Giraudo’s music. Its name: Strata, may resonate deeply with listeners, who will find themselves immersed in a complex blend of tango’s bittersweet drama, the warmth of South American folk flavors, the playful freedom of jazz and the graceful harmony of classical music. 

The album was produced in collaboration with ISCS students, offering them hands-on experience in music marketing and production. According to Giraudo, the title represents each participant's unique contributions, with each "layer" adding depth to the project. 

On November 9, the PGTQ returned to Idaho to celebrate the ISCS-PGTQ album release. Conductor Nell Flanders, Concertmaster Hyeri Choi, and Principal Cellist Eleanor Christman joined the PGTQ in performing pieces from Strata, alongside works by Astor Piazzolla.

Pedro Giraudo: Impetuoso

The collaboration between Nell Flanders and Pedro Giraudo began a few years ago at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where they had a fantastic working experience. When Flanders accepted a new and multifaceted role at Idaho State University (ISU), she reached out to propose a new project. As she immersed herself in the ISU community, meeting people and exploring possibilities, the idea for a recording became a tangible option, primarily through the involvement of the Commercial Music Program at ISU. This innovative program includes a record label, City Creek Records, primarily managed by students under the supervision of professors—a beautiful initiative fostering collaboration between students and faculty.

Flanders invited Giraudo to write for the Symphony Orchestra, a medium that offered an exciting opportunity to explore a broader range of expression and dynamics. For someone with a dramatic personality and roots in Argentina, the format was a natural fit, leading to a rewarding creative journey.

Tracklist:

1. Momento de Conquista
2. Con Creces
3. Dartmouth
4. Soliloquio
5. Senza Parole
6. Desenfreno
7. Con un Nudo en la Garganta
8. Impetuoso

The album is released by Idaho State University's label, City Creek Records
Physical copies of Strata are available on CD and vinyl, and it can also be streamed on major platforms.

After an in-depth two-hour coffee meeting with Flanders, where she provided detailed descriptions of each orchestra musician, the project began to take shape. This collaboration has become a significant milestone, with Giraudo’s music now performed by the Symphony Orchestra.

While the album does not include anything overtly shocking, it does introduce new nuances. For listeners familiar with Pedro Giraudo’s jazz background, the music will feel cohesive with earlier work. However, for those accustomed to the tango style of the last two albums, this project will stand out as a departure. Giraudo's musical language has evolved, becoming slightly more complex and, hopefully, more refined.

Pedro Giraudo: Momento de Conquista

Q&A with Pedro Giraudo:

As an avid listener of PGTQ's music, it is a pleasure to chat with him about his latest album and share his work with the IGM family. 

1. What's an album that changed your life and how did it change it ?

That’s of course a very difficult question!. An album that grabbed my hand and led me in the journey from being a listener to becoming a professional musician. Don Lucero by Luis Alberto Spinetta. 

I remember I would always shower with this album in my college years, it was an album that I always could go deeper in analyzing at the time, both from a musical and lyrical perspective. I could always go deeper, and I think that really defines a bit of who I am. 

2. If you could only play 5 songs for the rest of your life without getting bored, which songs would you choose ?

I’d very likely include Bach’s St Matthew Passion and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, along with Wagner's Ring Cycle. 

This might be a little off but it has personal meaning: Mr. Hands by Herbie Hancock and Don Lucero by Spinetta. These basically cover all bases and different kinds of music. 

3. Tell us a little bit about your creative process. Do you have any rituals?

There was a time when I wrote a lot on the piano; sometimes I’d write on the bass. There are several pieces that I initially wrote on the subway—at least the core ideas. Lately, I start with the guitar and singing, and from there, I develop a chunk of material that really starts to resemble a song. An important element of my process, especially when writing for the quartet, is considering what makes sense for each musician. It’s not just about the notes; it's about how the music will fit and speak through each player.

4. If your life had a soundtrack, what genre or genres of music would it include?

It would probably include something like heavy metal—very frantic, noisy,  like … techno music (laughs)

5. What musicians (current or past)  you’d love to play with?

This triggered a therapeutic thought! I remember one time on the road with the singer Marta Topferova, and Jenny Scheinman asked me the same question and I didn’t know what to answer. Now that I think about this again, I guess I would have loved to play with Astor Piazzolla. I’m still playing with Pablo Ziegler, who was his pianist for many years, and I played once with Fernando Suarez Paz. I would love to know what it felt like to play (and hang) with Piazzolla.

There are times when I finish a gig and feel really happy with how the band sounded, but when I look at videos of Piazzolla playing live and, I think, "This man is giving it all!" Piazzolla is such a genius—the economy of his writing is mind-blowing.

6. Any advice for beginning artists?

I’m usually uncomfortable giving advice because playing music is such a visceral, personal experience. There are formulas that work well in this capitalist world, but I believe everyone has their own unique path. My journey may not always be the most productive or comfortable for others. What works for me—or what I feel—shouldn’t necessarily be the path for others, and in fact, for some, it might be the opposite approach to avoid. People’s challenges can vary so widely, from financial struggles to dealing with an abusive parent, or finding a way to succeed as an artist with all our privileges and baggage. In a way, refraining from giving advice might itself be good advice. Everyone’s journey is different, and what works for one person might not work for another. But that’s the beauty of it: you have to trust your own journey and be open to the visceral, deeply personal experience of creating. Our journey is closely tied to becoming our authentic selves.

7. What's a song that helped you get over a heartbreak ?

There are times where your life is going well but the release needs to come out. And when that happens  I usually turn in two directions : either  Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Act I: Prelude or the first or last movement of Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony . 

8. Pick three keywords to describe your music 

Impulsive, dramatic, narrative.

9. Do you have any musical “guilty pleasures”, or music preferences that some may deem surprising? 

I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. As you just said, rather than guilty, let’s think of unexpected. One artist that does that often hits me is Residente; Spinetta too. 

There are other times that I turn to music that gives me joy. For example, I have played a lot of Cuban music in my life and it’s something that I enjoy deeply. 

10. Tell us an anecdote involving your audience.

There is a memory that won't leave my archives: there was a brief time right before coming to the US, I played in a classical music orchestra, the Orquesta Juvenil de Córdoba (Youth Orchestra of Córdoba)  , a classical orchestra conducted by my father. We were playing the finale of Stravinksy’s The Firebird. When we finished, I remember seeing an older man in a wheelchair, sobbing. Even now, as I’m telling you this story, I’m tearing up. It was such a privilege to be able to transmit so much through music.

If you haven’t yet discovered the magic of live tango and are intrigued by this talented composer, don’t miss the chance to see his quartet perform live and experience these musical layers in person. Guided by a charismatic and witty bandleader, each PGTQ concert takes you on a journey where you’ll uncover new strata: learning the stories behind his songs, the literary references that inspired his music, and the joy in the unspoken dialogue between the musicians. Be warned: don’t be surprised if you, too, find yourself moved to tears. 

Gregoria TALKS music

Gregoria (AKA María Laguna) is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), teacher, writer and psychoanalytic psychotherapist in New York City. She has trained in her native Uruguay and in New York City.  Laguna works as a principal curator, content advisor, and critic for IGM. Additionally, she writes periodically on Latino topics within the New York community. 

As an avid music listener, concert goer and independent researcher, Laguna studies the intersection between music and Psychoanalysis, and wants to raise awareness of the importance of the arts as a mental health tool. She has led highly attended workshops on the healing power of tango, and continues to work on the intersection of music, activism and Psychoanalysis. 

Gregoria is the co-founder of Bicultural Collective, a mental health collective for bicultural individuals.