Composer & Conductor
Martín Palmeri - composer, pianist, choir and orchestra conductor
Born in Buenos Aires in 1965. He studied composition with Daniel Montes, Marcelo Chevalier, Rodolfo Mederos, Virtú Maragno and Edgar Grana (New York), choral conducting with Antonio Russo and Nestor Zadoff, conducting with Mario Benzecry, singing with Amalia and Estevez Create, and piano with Eduardo Paez and Orlando Tripodi.
He has authored numerous choral works, instrumental and operas, among which are mentioned Tango del Bicentenario, released by the Qatar Symphony, Song of the distance, released in 2010 by the Choir of Buenos Aires, Christmas Oratorio premiered at the UBA Law School (2003), Matthew, opera premiered at the Teatro Roma in Avellaneda (1999) and recorded on the State Radio Bratislava (Slovakia), Tango Fantasy premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia ( 2000), Omens released in Matera, Italy, (2001), Concerto for bandoneon at the Teatro Roma in Avellaneda (2004), dance concert, Black and black and On the four seasons.
In recent years he has been invited to lead and participate as a pianist in the interpretation of his work Misatango (premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba in 1996) in Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Slovakia, Spain, Holland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Switzerland and USA. This work was selected to be part of the ateliers of Europa Cantat 2009 (Utrecht, Netherlands), and has been interpreted by renowned conductors, soloists and orchestras in cities across the world.
Martín Palmeri received the First Prize at the Choral arrangements organized by AAMCANT (Asociación Argentina para la Música Coral), 2011. The National University of Rosario awarded him First Prize in the 2010 National Choral Arrangements Competition. The National Endowment for the Arts grants in 2003 the first prize in the genre “Symphonic Work Essay Contest Juan Carlos Paz” for his Concerto for cello and orchestra dances. Several of his compositions have been recorded on CDs produced in Italy, Latvia and Argentina.
In 2013 the Mass Buenos Aires, Misatango was performed on October 29 in the Basilica San Ignacio de Loyola in the city of Rome in a concert in honor of Pope Francisco, with the Cathedral Choir of Köln (Germany) and the Roma Sinfonietta, organized by the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra.
On 5th and 6th October 2015 in the Akzent theatre of the city of Vienna the Opera “Mateo” was performed for first time in Austria, based on the A. Discelopo namesake play.
The “Magnificat” was included in the Christmas Concert 2015 in the Gewandhouse, by the MDR Rundfunkchor and the MDR Sinfonieorchester.
In February and September 2017 Misa a Buenos Aires was staged in the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria within the framework of the Festival Misatango, where choirs from all over the world participated.
In March 2017 the work for a tango orchestra, choir and mezzo-soprano soloist “La Creación” was premiered in the cities Biel and Less, Switzerland, interpreted by Evang. Ref. Kirchenchor Less.
In April 2017 the African premiere of Misatango was successfully celebrated in the cities Casabalanca and Rabat with the participation of the Chorale Polyphonique de Casablanca.
By the end of April 2017 the composition “Tango Credo” was premiered in the Avery Fisher Hall of the Lincoln Center. The concert was organized by DCINY.
In October 2017 the work “Laudate Pueri” for quintet and choir was premiered in Poznan, Poland, with the participation of the choir Kameralny Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu.
In June 2019 the world premiere of Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei will be celebrated in the Carnegie Hall, New York, which together with the Gloria (2015) and the Credo (2017) will complete the “Gran Misatango”. The event will be organized by DCINY.
Saul Zaks - conductor and artistic director
Born in Buenos Aires in 1961, he is the conductor of the Southern Denmark Students Orchestra (former University of Southern Denmark Symphony Orchestra). Saul has been the conductor of the University of Southern Denmark Chamber Choir for 16 years until 2016 and is the conductor of the Music Students Choir at the University of Aarhus, Denmark.
Saul Zaks performed the Misatango with Martín Palmeri several times. They also premiered the piece together in Scandinavia in December 2014. Today Saul is the Artistic Director & Conductor of the Misatango Festival Vienna and as well as the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival.
Saul Zaks has been a conductor of the Jerusalem Rubin Academy Ensemble for Contemporary Music and a guest conductor for The Danish Radio Choir. He also worked for many years as a lecturer at the Musicology Institute, University of Copenhagen and at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Saul Zaks is a guest professor in choral conducting at the University of Buenos Aires, Universidad Católica de Asunción del Paraguay, Conservatorio Nacional de Bolivia, Universidad Federal de Rio de Janeiro and Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba. He specializes in music from Latin America and has performed and recorded with, amongst others, the composer Ariel Ramirez, the singer Mercedes Sosa and the composer & pianist Pablo Ziegler.
Saul Zaks completed his conducting studies at The Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music & Dance, Israel, with Prof. Mendi Rodán and received a diploma in musical theory, history of western music and conducting from the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Saul Zaks has won the nomination "Recording of the Month in Europe" as leader of the Danish National Choir together with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra under Thomas Dausgaard for recordings of Choral Symphony & Requiem by Asger Hamerik (DACAPO 8.226033, 2006). He has also gained a nomination to the Danish Grammy (P2 Prisen) as well as in 2016 to the Latin Grammy’s in the category „Best Tango Album“ together with Pablo Ziegler.
