“From Bach to Piazzolla” offers us a journey that begins with the father of classical music J.S Bach and ends with the last great composer of Argentine tango Astor Piazzolla.
In this beautiful journey we will encounter some of their most famous compositions interspersed with Argentine folk music and compositions by José Luis Merlín himself, who will be accompanied by the virtuoso violinist Daniel Hurtado and in the dance by masters Luis and Arlene, who will bring plasticity to the tangos, waltzes, malambos and chacareras in the repertoire, along with images projected during the show.
Merlín's works are performed and recorded by a large number of guitarists around the world and his publications are edited by Guitar Solo Publisher and Theodore Presser (USA), Tuscany Publications and Shamrock (Austria). He has released a large number of discographic works in Spain, United States, Japan, Austria and Argentina and his biography is published in the International Who’s Who in Music (United Kingdom). He has made more than thirty international tours in Ireland, Spain, Austria, USA (over 200 concerts), Canada, Cuba, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Ukraine and Uruguay, in 2017 he gave several concerts and a series of master classes in China.
Among the prestigious venues, it is worth highlighting: United Nations (New York), Meridian House International (Washington), Teatro Nacional de La Habana, Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires) and he is invited as a professor to give classes and lectures at universities in the United States and Germany.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1952, he is a concert guitarist, composer, professor, and researcher of the guitar, with an extensive international career dedicated to musical performance, composition, and teaching. In 2014, he was recognized as a "Distinguished Figure in Culture" by the Buenos Aires Legislature and has performed recitals in prestigious venues such as the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
He has developed significant academic work as artistic director of the Contemporary Music Composition degree at the Rey Juan Carlos University and TAI Schools in Madrid, teaching subjects such as composition, harmony, counterpoint, and analysis. Additionally, he has collaborated as an orchestrator and arranger with singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler on the soundtrack for the film *The City of Your Final Destination* by James Ivory, and his works are part of study programs in universities and international conservatories.
Author of more than a dozen recorded albums released in the United States, Japan, Austria, and Argentina, he has composed music for solo guitar, chamber ensembles, voice, and orchestra, notably the oratorio *Travesía (The Guitar, Witness to Five Centuries)*. His compositions, published by prestigious international publishers, have received praise from specialized critics and are performed and studied in numerous countries.
Trained from childhood by teachers such as Vicente Degese and further refined alongside the legendary Uruguayan guitarist Abel Carlevaro, he has also dedicated much of his career to researching and disseminating instrumental technique, welcoming students from various countries for years. Currently, he balances his teaching and compositional work with recitals of poetry and guitar alongside the acclaimed Argentine actor Héctor Alterio, with which they have garnered excellent reviews in venues throughout Spain.
Intermediate Level at the Adolfo Salazar Professional Conservatory of Music with teachers Víctor Correa and Farid Fasla, obtaining the "Extraordinary Prize for Intermediate Level Graduation".
Completes his higher studies at the Rolando Prusack and Nicolás Chumachenco Chair, winning the Ibercaja Bank scholarship for improvement, which leads him to perform violin and piano duo concerts and recitals throughout Spain.
Completes a Master's Degree in Tango Violin at Codarts, University of the Arts (Netherlands), with Micha Molthoff.
In 2013, he wins first prize in the chamber music category at the International Accordion Festival competition in Beijing (China). He has worked with prestigious figures in the world of tango such as Sebastián Prusak, Víctor Hugo Villena, Gustavo Beytelmann, Quinteto “El Después”, Martín Alvarado and Nuevo Quinteto Real, among others.
He is part of numerous tango groups as a violinist, artistic and musical director in Europe and China, performing in some of the most important halls and festivals such as the "Mozart" hall at the Zaragoza Auditorium, Beijing National Theatre, Shanghai Culture Square, Strawberry Festival in Beijing, Shanghai World Music Festival, "Doble Ocho" Festival, RASA Theatre, International Tango Festival in Tarbes, among others. In 2018, his quintet's documentary in China premiered on CCTV (China Central Television).
