Romulo Larrea

Bandoneon player, composer and musical director, Romulo Larrea is recognized as one of the leaders on the international tango scene. His artistic path has been marked by unusual strength of character that knows no limits.

Born in Montevideo (Uruguay), Romulo Larrea began his study of the bandoneon at the age of ten with Professor Rolando Gavioli. In the sixties, he formed his first ensemble, started to compose, recorded his first album and worked with several orchestras in Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

Larrea arrived in Quebec (Canada) at the end of the seventies and founded the first tango groups in Canada (Tango x 4 and Quartango). He has been recognized as the one through whom tango arrived in Montreal. At the end of the eighties, Larrea worked with Master Astor Piazzolla in South America. This was a unique moment in time in the evolution of his career. When he returned to Montreal, he made his debuts as soloist with the Quebec Symphonic Orchestra. He then developed a new musical approach that led to the creation of his current Ensemble. He has toured in Canada, USA, Europe and South America and has also shared the stage with talented and well-known artists from the popular scene including, Michel Sardou, Claude Léveillée, Bruno Pelletier, Sylvain Lelièvre, Claude Dubois and from the classical world including, José Bragato (cello), Alvaro Pierri (guitar), Antonio Lysy (cello), Timothy Hutchins (flute), Aniello Desiderio (guitar), André Moisan (clarinet), Pascal Rogé (piano), Ami Hakuno (piano), Julius Berger (cello) et Nard Reijnders (saxophone).

Romulo Larrea was awarded the Prix Félix as Arranger of the year in 1999. Larrea is also a member and delegate for Quebec of the Academia National del Tango of Argentina. He is the creator of the shows Un siglo de tango, Le Tango de chez nous, Homenaje a Astor Piazzolla, Tangos... para La Milonga, Tango Sinfónico, Piazzolla y sus contemporáneos, Tango du cœur, Pleins feux sur le Tango and Sinfonía del Ángel.

A passionate tango expert, Romulo Larrea reveals a new dimension in his artistic path as director of the Un siglo de tango Collection produced by Romartis. The year 2005 marks the release of the DVD Spotlight on tango, in the same Collection. This production highlights 25 years of musical career for Maestro Larrea in Quebec (Canada).