Osvaldo Piro
Osvaldo Piro | |
|---|---|
 Osvaldo Piro in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Osvaldo Carlos Piro |
| Born | 1 January 1937 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Died | 7 August 2025 (aged 88) |
| Genres | Tango |
| Occupation(s) | Bandoneonist, conductor, arranger, composer |
| Instrument | Bandoneon |
| Labels | Philips Records |
Osvaldo Carlos Piro (Spanish: [ozˈβalðo ˈkaɾlos ˈpiɾo]; 1 January 1937 – 7 August 2025) was an Argentine bandoneonist, conductor, arranger and tango composer.[1][2][3]
Life and career
Osvaldo Piro was born in the La Paternal neighborhood of the city of Buenos Aires, on 1 January 1937.[4][5] He began his bandoneon studies at the age of 10 with Félix Cordisco (uncle of bandoneon player Alfredo Cordisco, who also taught piano).[1]
At the age of 11, he formed the children's musical trio OSMASI (Osvaldo, Mario, and Simón). At 12, he continued his studies with bandoneonist Domingo Mattio, who had been a member of Aníbal Troilo's orchestra.[1]
He studied harmony with Pedro Rubione and Julio Nistal, and the philosophy of music with Juan Francisco Giacobbe. At the age of 15, he joined Ricardo Pedevilla's orchestra as a professional musician.[2]
At the age of 16, he joined Alfredo Gobbi's orchestra, at a time when Jorge Maciel and Carlos Almada were the vocalists.[4] He also belonged, for a short time and simultaneously, to the orchestras of Víctor D´Armario, with Ángel D´Angostini and Celso Amato, among others. He returned to Gobbi's orchestra, with whom he stayed for six years. Then, a year before forming his own orchestra, he joined Fulvio Salamanca’s in 1964.
He debuted with his own orchestra on 16 February 1965, at the Patio de Tango.[6]
His orchestra was composed of:
- Osvaldo Piro (conductor and first bandoneon)
- Raúl Salvetti, Oscar Malvestitti and Alejandro Prevignano (bandoneons)
- Eduardo Salgado (soloist)
- Mario Grossi and Ricardo Buonvincino (violins)
- Néstor Panik (viola)
- Enrique Gonzalez (cello)
- Oscar Palermo (piano)
- Osvaldo Aulicino (bass)
Piro died on 7 August 2025, at the age of 88.[7]
Awards
- Palma de Oro (Festival de La Falda, Córdoba, 1965).[8]
- Martín Fierro Award (APTRA, 1966).[2]
- Konex Awards 1985 (Conductor of Orquesta Típica) and 1995 (Tango Ensemble).[8]
- Distinguished Citizen of the city of Buenos Aires, 1995.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "Biography of Osvaldo Piro by Ricardo García Blaya". www.todotango.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ a b c "La notable trayectoria de Osvaldo Piro". Semanario de Junín (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Entrevista a Susana Rinaldi y Osvaldo Piro antes de que se presenten juntos por primera vez en el Festival". Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ a b "Una charla con «Riverito» y el bandoneonista Osvaldo Piro – Radio Nacional" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Osvaldo Piro - Biography, history". www.todotango.com. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ "Osvaldo Piro (1937) - Tango Diario - Podcasts about tango and folklore music - a long podcast". Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ Murió Osvaldo Piro, histórico bandoneonista de Aníbal Troilo (in Spanish)
- ^ a b c "Osvaldo Piro". Fundación Konex (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-12.
External links
- Osvaldo Piro at IMDb
- Osvaldo Piro discography at Discogs