I have known bandoneonist Juan José Mosalini since 1992, when I started studying bandoneon. Because I went every month to Gennevilliers, a suburb of Paris, to take bandoneon lessons with him. In 1998, Mosalini hired me for his Grand orchestre de tango, and I played there until 2001.

He was born in Buenos Aires on April 2, 1914 and was the son of Hugo Ricardo Baralis, who had played double bass in the famous orchestras of Eduardo Arolas, Osvaldo Fresedo, Francisco Canaro and in the legendary Sextet of Julio de Caro.

Today I introduce you to an exceptional woman I interviewed in January 1999: flutist and bandoneonist Paula Liffschitz. Since then, Paula has toured all over the world, in the United States, Europe and much of Latin America.

I met Rodolfo Mederos in 1995. I approached him after a concert at the San Martín Cultural Center and asked if I could take bandoneon lessons with him. I still remember how my heart beat when I went upstairs in his classroom and played for him for the first time. A little later, I took ensemble classes with the Dutch tango quintet Bailongo. Our collaboration was so inspiring that Rodolfo Mederos came to Amsterdam to tour Holland and Germany with us.

I don’t need to introduce the musician whose interview I want to let you listen to today: He is my favorite bandoneon player after Pichuco, having played with all the greats of tango: Leopoldo Federico. Leopoldo Federico was born in Buenos Aires on January 12, 1927. He studied bandoneon with Felix Lipesker, Carlo Marcucci and Osvaldo Requena.

Marcelo Nisinman is today one of the most innovative composers and bandoneon players in Argentina. He has not only played with great tango legends such as Roberto Goyeneche, Osvaldo Berlingheri and Osvaldo Tarantino. He has also performed with classical and jazz stars such as Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer, Gary Burton and the Assad brothers.