Casenave New Trio

Gustavo Casenave (pianist, composer and director)
Hailed by the NYTimes as “…exuberant, virtuosic performance…” he is a Latin Grammy Nominee (2014 & 2012) for “Best Contemporary Classical Composition”, ACE Awardee 2015, and a Steinway Artist. He has performed worldwide, collaborated and recorded with artists as diverse as: Yo-Yo Ma, Bette Midler, Robert Duvall, Mark Egan, Jane Ira Bloom, Neil Sedaca, Manolo Badrena, John Benitez, Federico Britos, Miguel Zenon, Avishai Cohen, Charlie Persip, Pedro Giraudo, Nestor Torres, Ray Vega and Hector del Curto among many others.
 
He is a former Jazz Department Director at the Harbor Conservatory, currently gives lectures and master classes at The Juilliard School, and he is a faculty member at the Stowe Tango Music Festival in Vermont.Since 1997, he is one of the most on demand Tango pianist, arranger and composer in the US, having directed, recorded and performed worldwide, with the most distinguished Tango productions and ensembles including: Forever Tango, Tango Fire, Tango Buenos Aires, Eternal Tango, New York Tango Trio, Avantango, Recuerdo Tango and Painting Tango. In 2012 he was invited to participate at the distinguished series “The Greatest Uruguayan Musicians”, where “El País” newspaper describes him as: “…one of the best pianist our country has…” (Uruguay), and among other recognitions and awards, he received the 2013 Con Edison Composers Residency Award, a 2013 New Music USA Grant, in 2007 “Tango Casenave Show” was officially declared “of national and cultural interest” by the Uruguayan Government, and won the “Belgian Artistic Promotion” at Europe Jazz Contest 1999.
 
“… ferocious performance, emotionally wrenching playing…”
LOS ANGELES TIMES
 
“… enough can’t be said, sensational musician…”
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
 
“… Gustavo Casenave led the virtuosic ensemble, … show stopper…”
THE WASHINGTON POST
 
“… the onstage orchestra led by musical director Gustavo Casenave was dynamite…”
THE BOSTON GLOBE
 
“…Casenave sounds splendid…”
THE VILLAGE VOICE

Nick Danielson (violinist)
Mr. Danielson has performed and recorded Casenave’s music since 2003, including the Latin Grammy nominated composition: “Miñoqui” for “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” in 2012. His recording with Fernando Otero, “Vital” (World Village) won the 2010 Latin Grammy for best classical album. He was a longtime member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra since 1990, and holds the position of Associate Concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra since 1992.
He has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician in the US, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia. As a member of Orpheus, he has played on many recordings and can be heard in Stravinsky´s “Concertino” on the Grammy winning CD “Shadow Dances.”
 
In addition to his activities in the classical music world, Mr. Danielson is an avid performer of Tango music. He has played for Broadway´s “Tango Argentino,” and has recorded with Tango legend Pablo Ziegler and singer Denyce Graves for RCA records. In 2004, he performed as “The Fiddler” on the “Fiddler on the roof” Broadway production, starring actor Alfred Molina. Currently, he is a member of Tango Casenave ensemble, Painting Tango Show, Recuerdo Tango, and a former member from Eternal Tango and Hector del Curto’s Quartet.
 
In 1997, Mr. Danielson appeared onstage with Mikhail Baryshnikov in a series of concerts at the New York City Center performing Bach´s Chaconne for Solo Violin. Prior to moving to New York, he spent 5 years as first violinist of the Chester String Quartet, while also serving on the faculty of Indiana University at South Bend. Mr. Danielson is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Ivan Galamian.
 
Joseph Lee (cellist)
Mr. Lee is a current member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra, joining in 2012. He began piano studies at the age of 4, violin studies at 7, and then finally cello at the age of 11. He won the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra concerto competition resulting in his concerto debut, playing the Dvorak Cello Concerto in Davies Symphony Hall under conductor Edwin Outwater. Joseph grew up in northern California where he studied with Irene Sharp. He earned both a bachelors and masters degree in music from The Juilliard School where he studied with Joel Krosnick and Darrett Adkins. He also earned a masters degree in orchestral performance from The Manhattan School of Music studying with Alan Stepansky. Mr. Lee has performed in master classes for Ralph Kirshbaum, Lynn Harrell, and Janos Starker. In orchestra he has worked with prominent conductors including: Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Slatkin, Andre Previn, Pierre Boulez, David Zinman, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and James Levine. Mr. Lee was a member of the New World Symphony from 2010 until 2012, and has played with the New York Philharmonic, and Mostly Mozart orchestra in Lincoln Center as a substitute musician.