Sarah Chang is cited among the best violinists performing in the world today. Since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at the age of eight, she has appeared across the music capitals of Asia, Europe and America.
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
Sarah Chang is cited among the best violinists performing in the world today. Since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at the age of eight, she has appeared across the music capitals of Asia, Europe and America.
courtesy Sarah Chang
Now 31 years old, Chang picked up the violin when she was just four, having already grown tired of the household piano. Quickly recognized as a child prodigy, Chang had signed to EMI Classics before she'd even reached double digits.
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
Now 31 years old, Chang picked up the violin when she was just four, having already grown tired of the household piano. Quickly recognized as a child prodigy, Chang had signed to EMI Classics before she'd even reached double digits.
Courtesy Sarah Chang/Charles Abbott
Still in her early 20s, Chang is seen here clutching her priceless 17th-century "Guarneri del Gesu" violin, given to her as a present by the late Ukrainian violinist and conductor Isaac Stern, who had a reputation for discovering new talent.
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
Still in her early 20s, Chang is seen here clutching her priceless 17th-century "Guarneri del Gesu" violin, given to her as a present by the late Ukrainian violinist and conductor Isaac Stern, who had a reputation for discovering new talent.
AFP/Getty Images
A life dedicated to the formality of classical music is very different from a life led in the frenetic city of Buenos Aires -- where racy murals decorate the streets and the sound of tango music echoes in the air. But this is where Chang had chosen to fly for her Fusion Journey.
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
A life dedicated to the formality of classical music is very different from a life led in the frenetic city of Buenos Aires -- where racy murals decorate the streets and the sound of tango music echoes in the air. But this is where Chang had chosen to fly for her Fusion Journey.
CNN
There she met with local ensemble "Orquesta Tipica Andariega" (pictured), a band steeped in the traditions of tango. Together they would create a new piece of music inspired by this meeting of cultures.
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
There she met with local ensemble "Orquesta Tipica Andariega" (pictured), a band steeped in the traditions of tango. Together they would create a new piece of music inspired by this meeting of cultures.
Courtesy Orquesta Típica Andariega
But first Chang, who confesses to be the owner of "two left feet," would take a lesson in the other side of tango -- dance. Over the course of her practice, she discovered that the dance moves have an "intimate relationship with the music," which she would later draw on to enhance her musical performance.
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
But first Chang, who confesses to be the owner of "two left feet," would take a lesson in the other side of tango -- dance. Over the course of her practice, she discovered that the dance moves have an "intimate relationship with the music," which she would later draw on to enhance her musical performance.
CNN
Out of her customary ball gown, Chang donned an outfit more befitting of a small local tango club, hidden along a narrow backstreet in Buenos Aires.
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
Out of her customary ball gown, Chang donned an outfit more befitting of a small local tango club, hidden along a narrow backstreet in Buenos Aires.
CNN
Here, accompanied by "Orquesta Tipica Andariega," she performed a tango standard, incorporating a solo violinist twist adapted especially for the fusion. Looking back, she says she was touched by the intimacy between the performers and the audience -- an experience she is unfamiliar with in the world's giant concert halls.
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
Here, accompanied by "Orquesta Tipica Andariega," she performed a tango standard, incorporating a solo violinist twist adapted especially for the fusion. Looking back, she says she was touched by the intimacy between the performers and the audience -- an experience she is unfamiliar with in the world's giant concert halls.
CNN
Now, she says she tries to retain that Buenos Aires-style intimacy wherever she plays. "I try to connect with every single last person in the balcony on an emotional and personal level."
Tango: From Boston to Buenos Aires —
Now, she says she tries to retain that Buenos Aires-style intimacy wherever she plays. "I try to connect with every single last person in the balcony on an emotional and personal level."
CNN