Vientos y Tangos ( “Winds” and Tangos ) was commissioned by The Frank L. Battisti 70th Birthday Commission Project in recognition of the immense contributions of the namesake, Conductor Emeritus of the New England Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble, to the advancement of concert wind literature. The composer devoted several months to the study and transcription of tangos from the early style of Juan D’Arienzo and the ‘Tango Nuevo’ style to the current trend of ‘Disco/Techno Tango,’ and others. After this immersion, he allowed the most salient features of these various tangos to inform the direction of the work. The dynamic contour and the various instrumental combinations employed in the piece are all inspired by the traditional sounds of the bandoneon (concertina), piano and contrabass.

Michael Gandolfi (b. 1956) began his earliest musical involvement in rock and jazz improvisation at age eight as a self-taught guitarist. As his improvisational skills developed he became increasingly interested in music composition and began formal study in his early teens. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition from the New England Conservatory of Music, and fellowships for study at Yale and Tanglewood. He is a faculty member of the New England Conservatory of Music. He has received numerous awards and commissions and his music has been recorded on the Deutsche Grammophon and CRI labels.