Clevelanders with a passion for modern Argentine tango are bringing audiences closer to a master. After years of performing throughout the Midwest as the Oblivion Project, the ensemble is releasing its first album Friday — an effort 20 years in the making.
Cleveland cellist Derek Snyder’s journey into a modern style of tango music began in 1990.
As a college student in Illinois, he attended a performance by Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and heard something that changed the course of his musical career.
“He played a piece called ‘Le Grand Tango’ by a composer I’d never heard of,” Snyder said. “I just remembered his name sounded like ‘pizza,’ so I thought of this ‘pizza guy.’ But the piece was incredible.”
That “pizza guy” was Astor Piazzolla, the Argentine composer who, in the 1950s, transformed traditional tango into nuevo tango — a dynamic fusion of tango, jazz and classical music that incorporated new instruments like saxophone and guitar into the classical genre.
Snyder dove into Piazzolla’s works with his college friend, violinist Gabe Bolkosky.
“We started doing annual Piazzolla bashes, full evenings of his music,” Snyder said. “He left over 3,000 pieces, so there’s always something new to explore.”
By 2003, Snyder and Bolkosky formed the Oblivion Project, named for one of Piazzolla’s most famous works.
The fluid ensemble brings together musicians from across the Midwest to perform Piazzolla’s compositions using violin, cello, guitar, piano, bass and percussion.
“One of the challenges of the ensemble is that we all live in different places,” Snyder said. “We have musicians in Michigan and four of us here in Cleveland.”
Every March, the group comes together to tour the Midwest in celebration of Piazzolla’s birthday.
This year, the tour marks the release of the group’s first recorded album, “Tango Apasionado,” which they will celebrate with a performance at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Friday at 7 p.m.
Honoring Piazzolla’s legacy
The Oblivion Project’s style closely mirrors that of Piazzolla’s original ensembles, balancing structured composition with improvisational energy.
“If you look at Piazzolla’s published music versus what you hear him play, it’s way different,” Snyder said. “Our music is based on the structure of chords and stays true to Piazzolla’s character, but beyond that, it’s open, different from show to show.”
The ensemble’s lineup reflects Piazzolla’s approach.
“The group has always been a mix of musicians from different backgrounds, just like Piazzolla’s,” Snyder said. “We have classically trained musicians and jazz musicians, and that diversity gives the group more depth.”
The Oblivion Project’s players bring impressive credentials, with musicians having trained at institutions such as the Cleveland Institute of Music, the New England Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory and the Cologne University of Music and Dance in Germany.
“Our music is based on the structure of chords and stays true to Piazzolla’s character, but beyond that, it’s open, different from show to show.”Derek Snyder
The Oblivion Project is joined by acclaimed Argentine vocalist Malena Dayen for their performances this month.
Dayen is a specialist in Spanish-language music and tango and has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Rochester Philharmonic. She's also an opera singer an assistant stage director at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.
She has played the title role in Piazzolla’s “María de Buenos Aires” with Opera Naples and Opera Hispánica.
“For me growing up in the '70s, '80s, I mean he was a superstar. And anybody who loved tango and music in general was a fan of what Piazzolla was doing. At least in my family and with our friends, anything he did, he was a total star,” Dayen said.
In addition to their headline performance at the Cleveland Museum of Art, members of the ensemble have been hosting evening concerts in Akron libraries, culminating with a performance at Akron’s Main Library on Sunday.
‘Always something new to explore’
Piazzolla’s music remains deeply resonant with audiences around the world. Snyder attributes this to its emotional depth.
“Someone once said that Piazzolla’s music contains all the emotions that exist,” Snyder said. “The interplay of rhythmic layers, the poignant melodies, it all connects on a visceral level.”
Beyond concert halls, the Oblivion Project is dedicated to bringing Piazzolla’s music to new generations.
The group regularly performs in schools and libraries and has a residency in Akron Schools through ORMACO, Ohio Regional Music Arts Cultural Outreach.
“I have an 11-year-old daughter who plays violin,” Snyder said. “I started programming Piazzolla’s pieces in youth orchestras, and it’s been amazing to see how quickly young musicians connect with his music. My daughter keeps asking, ‘Can we play another Piazzolla piece?’”
Piazzolla’s vast catalog allows them to return to familiar venues with fresh programs.
“His music is similar to Picasso or Beethoven — you can really hear the different periods in his music,” Snyder said. “While his voice is very distinct, there's a wide range of character and stories in his music.”
