When music is ahead of its time, it can take decades for the world to truly hear it. And sometimes, it takes musicians from five different countries, determined to rediscover it.
On 10 November, Vilnius Town Hall will host a truly exceptional concert. SONICO, one of Europe’s most original and distinctive contemporary tango ensembles, is coming to the Lithuanian capital. Bringing together musicians from Argentina, Belgium, France, Spain and Chile, the ensemble has earned international acclaim for its creative audacity, outstanding musicianship and unmistakable artistic voice.
Founded in Brussels in 2015 by Argentine double bassist Ariel Eberstein, SONICO ventures into the territory where tango tradition meets unexplored musical possibilities. There are no accidental notes or predictable choices in SONICO’s music: every phrase has its own character, every instrument tells its own story, and the inventive arrangements become a triumph of musical imagination. Intricate rhythmic patterns, unexpected harmonies, subtle instrumental dialogues and sudden contrasts of mood create a vivid, constantly evolving musical world. This is tango in which echoes of Bach’s counterpoint meet Stravinsky’s rhythmic daring, the freedom of jazz and the enduring passion of Argentine music.
“There was a time when Rovira was more revolutionary than I was,” Astor Piazzolla once said. His words open the door to one of the most fascinating stories in 20th-century tango.
Eduardo Rovira (1925–1980) was a brilliant Argentine composer, bandoneonist and tango visionary whose music was far ahead of its time. For decades, his work remained in the shadow of his famous contemporary Piazzolla, until SONICO embarked on a mission to bring it back to the world’s concert stages. By meticulously reconstructing forgotten scores, some of which had long been considered lost, the musicians have not only revived an undeservedly overlooked musical legacy but also revealed just how strikingly contemporary Rovira’s music still sounds. Recorded in Buenos Aires in 2025, the album ROVIRA 100, marking the centenary of the composer’s birth, became another significant milestone in this remarkable musical journey.
SONICO’s journey has taken the ensemble to prestigious stages around the world, from the legendary Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires to BOZAR in Brussels and the Philharmonie Luxembourg. Yet just as telling as its international concert itinerary is the recognition it has received from music critics worldwide.
Rolling Stone named SONICO among the seven leading contemporary tango ensembles, while Billboard selected its debut album as one of the ten best tango recordings of the year. The prestigious British music magazine Gramophone described the rediscovery of Rovira’s music as a revelation for admirers of Astor Piazzolla. Argentina’s leading newspaper Clarín, meanwhile, presented SONICO’s artistic mission as the return of the avant-garde, reviving the legacy of an unjustly forgotten tango genius.
For its Vilnius audience, SONICO will present an exceptional concert programme showcasing the ensemble’s multifaceted repertoire, with a special place reserved for the music of Eduardo Rovira. Here, virtuosity is inseparable from sensitivity, intellectual musical thought from emotional power, and meticulously controlled sound from uninhibited creative freedom.
This is an evening when music will do more than simply sound: it will surprise, provoke and move, never allowing the listener to predict what lies beyond the next musical phrase. Familiar tango rhythms will suddenly take unexpected turns, while tradition transforms into bold, sophisticated and compelling contemporary art.
On 10 November at Vilnius Town Hall – SONICO. Music in which the history of tango is being written anew.
29th International Accordion Festival VILNIUS 2026
More information: www.akordeonofestivalis.lt