Pablo Aslan

Living in the United States since 1980, Argentine-born bassist and composer Pablo Aslan is recognized internationally as one of the leading figures in traditional and contemporary tango. He performs as leader of his own ensembles, as well as guest artist and bassist. His latest release, Contrabajo (2018) features Aslan as a bass soloist accompanied by a string quartet in an eclectic and personal mix of Latin American music. His extensive discography includes Piazzolla in Brooklyn (2011), a tribute to Astor Piazzolla, and Tango Grill (2009). The latter earned him nominations for a Latin Grammy Award (“Best Tango Album”) and a Grammy Award (“Best Latin Jazz Album”).

As a producer, he has participated in more than two dozen albums, including the 2007 Latin Grammy Winner Te Amo Tango by Uruguayan bandoneonist Raul Jaurena. Most recently, Aslan worked on albums by the Glass House Orchestra, Tributango, Norwegian pianist Hakon Skogstad, and composer Emilio Solla’s Tango Jazz Orchestra. In 2016, he founded Avantango Records, a label dedicated to tango music, which received its first Grammy nomination for Emilio Solla’s “Puertos” in 2019.

Aslan has colaborated with many world-class artists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Shakira, Lalo Schifrin, Denyce Graves, Osvaldo Golijov, Pablo Ziegler, the New World Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Aslan has also performed with clarinetist David Krakauer’s band Klezmer Madness! in the U.S. and Europe, and collaborated with other leading klezmer musicians such as composer-trumpeter Frank London and violinist Alicia Svigals.

Aslan is an active researcher and educator, and has produced educational programs for Lincoln Center Institute, Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts, and Arts Connection in New York City. As a guest lecturer, he has spoken at several universities throughout the United States, including Harvard, Yale, and UCLA. He served as Artistic Director of the Reed Tango Music Institute for the 2013-14 season, and was Featured Artist at the Indiana University Tangueros Conference 2015-17.