Education

Besides his activities as a performer, arranger and composer, Santiago has extensive experience teaching and coaching musicians and ensembles. In his workshops and masterclasses he not only helps bandoneon players, but also performers of any instrument that attempt to approach Argentine music in general and music of Astor Piazzolla and modern tango in particular.

Published scores include very little information regarding the specific performance which is required when playing such pieces. In his coaching, Santiago can explain in detail the specific musical language that musicians should be aware of when performing these pieces.

Topics that are often worked on are:

• Specific articulation which is often not notated or not in enough detail.

• Instrument-specific techniques for bandoneon, piano and string instruments, also extrapolated to other instruments.

• Dynamics

• Specific phrasing in solos and tuttis

• Improvisational language

• Meaning of the various parts, and origins in tango history

• Background of the pieces

In his workshops, Santiago works with existing, published scores of music by Astor Piazzolla (and others), but also with his own specific, tailor-made arrangements that take into account the particular background of the course participants.

Santiago’s experience in this field includes his work as main subject teacher of bandoneon at the Rotterdam Conservatory (CODARTS) and coaching of ensembles, in specialized academies such as the Tango department but also in the Jazz and Classical Music academies, and his background as a researcher and research supervisor.

​

Santiago has also presented his research on Tango music at events such as the European Platform for Artistic Research in Music (EPARM) in Graz (AT) and the Sir John Manduell Research Forum at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK).