Paragon Philharmonia’s Piano Quintet performs Dvorak’s monumental Piano Quintet at St Francis on April 5, 2025 7pm. See below for more information!

Latin GRAMMY Award winner bassist and composer Pedro Giraudo is among the most compelling tango artists today.

A Octavio Brunetti, originally written for violin, bandoneón, piano & bass, is a song of friendship dedicated to pianist Octavio Brunetti (1975 – 2014). Both Brunetti and Giraudo were beer enthusiasts, and during one of their manu tours of Japan, they came up with a ditty with the Japanese lyrics: Biru No-mou-ze,” which means “let’s have a beer!” They would play or whistle the motive after a long day of rehearsals. When Giraudo embarked upon writing a piece for his dear friend Brunetti, he remembered the motive, and constructed a full tango borne of levity but bedazzled with bleaker harmonies. The whole piece is based on that theme and idea.
Antonin Dvorak’s second piano quintet is considered one of the most iconic works in the repertoire, with soaring lyricism and scintillating virtuosity. In his own musical language, Dvorak incorporates aspects of Czech folk music, including the dance forms of the Dumka and Furiant interpreted in a romantic style.