Guttman Tango Ensemble
About
Grammy-nominated violinist Michael Guttman is one of Belgium’s most distinctive musical personalities. A prodigious talent, he made his debut at fourteen with Jean-Pierre Rampal and went on to study at the Juilliard School with Isaac Stern’s guidance. His international career spans concert halls such as Lincoln Center, the Barbican, and Salle Pleyel, alongside partnerships with Martha Argerich, Boris Berezovsky, Vadim Repin, and Maxim Vengerov.
But Guttman has another lifelong passion: tango. His fateful encounter with Astor Piazzolla in the late 1980s ignited in him a fascination that eventually led to the creation of this ensemble.
To bring his vision to life, Guttman surrounded himself with musicians who live at the crossroads of tango and classical performance. Bandoneonist Lysandre Donoso, a French-Chilean master of both concert and traditional tango; pianist Ivo De Greef, whose refined touch blends romantic lyricism with rhythmic vitality; cellist Stijn Kuppens, known for his warm, human tone; and Argentine double bassist Ariel Eberstein, whose deep rhythmic sense anchors the group with authenticity.
Together, they have performed at leading festivals including Pietrasanta in Concerto, Odessa Classics, Crans-Montana Classics, POLIN Music Festival, and Le Printemps du Violon, and have shared the stage with Martha Argerich at her own festival in Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle.
The Ensemble :
Michael Guttman – violin & artistic direction
Lysandre Donoso – bandoneón
Ivo De Greef – piano
Stijn Kuppens – cello
Ariel Eberstein – double bass
