"Cimadevilla must be a careful student of Piazzolla's bandoneón technique. He has captured the ornamentation and nuanced phrasing of Piazzolla so well that I could swear it is Piazzolla himself playing at times." Piazzolla on video, 25/04/2011


"Der Dirigent des Abends Rolando Garza Rodríguez (…) leitet das kleine, mitten im Bühnenboden versenkt sitzende Orchester mit dem großartigen Bandoneon-Spezialisten Santiago Cimadevilla zu einem rhythmisch vitalen, atmosphärisch gleichwohl subtilen Klang an." Detlef Brandenburg, Deutsche Bühne online, 7. Dezember 2015 (about Maria de Buenos Aires with Theater Bremen)


Santiago Cimadevilla

bandoneonist, composer, arranger

Biography

Santiago Cimadevilla is a bandoneonist, composer, arranger, and educator based in the Netherlands. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he studied classical piano at the Conservatorio Municipal Manuel de Falla. He later specialized in bandoneon at Codarts (Rotterdam Conservatory) with Victor Villena, and focused on composition and arrangement with Gustavo Beytelmann. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music from Codarts, supported by the Huygens Scholarship and an award from the Foundation Friends of the Rotterdam Conservatory.

Compositions and Arrangements

As a composer and arranger, Santiago has developed a broad repertoire ranging from tango to classical and contemporary music. He has written original music for ensembles, chamber groups, orchestras, and film projects.

His commissioned works include the original soundtrack for the silent film Cœur Fidèle (1923) for the Festival Internacional de Cine de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, original compositions and arrangements for Kamerata Zuid for the project Chamamé Sinfónico Nuevo (2024 tour in Argentina), and a piece for the Nederlands Vioolconcours (Dutch Violin Competition) for its 2018 edition.

In addition to his commissioned work, Santiago has composed original pieces for various projects and collaborations, including a composition for the 10th Anniversary of the International Bach Festival in Gran Canaria, and a work for organ and bandoneon written for performances with organist Aart Bergwerff, among others.

He has orchestrated numerous works by Astor Piazzolla for a wide range of ensembles, and created original compositions and arrangements for groups including the Netherlands Blazers Ensemble, Manchester Camerata, Paradiso Orchestra, and his own projects.

Performance and Ensemble Work

Santiago has toured extensively across Europe, Argentina, and the United States, performing in a variety of musical genres. As a tango musician, he has appeared with Orquesta Típica Fernández Fierro, Sexteto Veritango (Alfredo Marcucci), and Orquesta Típica OTRA, performing in venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Tropentheater, and touring in Germany, France, and Belgium.

He specializes in Astor Piazzolla’s music, including several performances of the Concierto para Bandoneón (Aconcagua) with Tiroler Symphonieorchester Innsbruck, the Doble Concierto para Bandoneón y Guitarra at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and arrangements of the Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas with Manchester Camerata.

Santiago also regularly performs classical and baroque repertoire in solo, chamber, and orchestral contexts, including J.S. Bach’s Harpsichord Concerto in D minor and Kurt Weill’s Die Dreigroschenoper, collaborating with ensembles such as the Schönberg Ensemble, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, and Nationaal Jeugdorkest.

He has been involved in several contemporary music productions, premiering works such as Daan Manneke’s Trajectoire and Astrid Kruisselbrink’s Magnificat with the Helios Ensemble, and Mathis B. Nitschke’s opera Jetzt with the Orchestre National de Montpellier. In 2022, he also premiered Stravaganza, a double concerto for bandoneon and trumpet composed by Carlos Pellicer.

He has performed over multiple seasons in productions of Piazzolla’s María de Buenos Aires in Germany and Austria, and regularly appears in performances of Martín Palmeri's Misa a Buenos Aires and Luis Bacalov's Misa Tango.

Current Projects

Educational Activities

Santiago teaches bandoneon and ensemble performance at Codarts, University of the Arts Rotterdam, where he also coordinates the Artistic Research programme in the Master of Music department. His research focuses on performance practice and solo development in Argentine tango music.

In addition to his regular teaching, Santiago frequently participates in international workshops and masterclasses, including the Journées Européennes du Bandonéon in Avignon and the Masterclass Internazionale di Bandoneon in Sardinia.

Discography (Selection)

Affiliations