Payadora Ensemble
Rose Gellert Hall Series Opener
Saturday, November 1, 2025 – 7:30pm

Rose Gellert Hall Series Opener

Supporters and Government Partners

About Payadora Ensemble

“A World Class Contemporary Chamber Ensemble” – Ottawa Citizen
“The beloved ensemble that is tango and beyond. It is world. It is classical. It is jazz. It is tango…a delicious swirl of music that is the Payadora Ensemble.” – Classical 96.3 FM

Payadora is an award-winning chamber music ensemble that performs original compositions as well as original arrangements of a core repertoire drawing from Argentinian/Uruguayan Tango and Folk music. Made up of a group of players who are each musical powerhouses in their own right, this “superstar group” has combined their their deep knowledge of tango with their classical, jazz and world music backgrounds to create something entirely new. Payadora is officially endorsed by the Argentinian Consulate in Toronto for its adherence to the spirit of tango Their performances convey joy, virtuosity, humour and their intense passion for the music that they play.

“Each musician is a star soloist in their own right. Playing together has allowed them to develop and mature turning Payadora into a superstar group.” – The WholeNote

Payadora won the 2024 Folk Music Ontario Award for best album for their critically acclaimed album “Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango.” The album reached #1 on the World Music Charts in Europe, accompanied by rave reviews, airtime, and press coverage around the globe, including the BBC, CTV, CBC television and radio, the Bangkok Post, NPR, and RTE Irish Public Radio. “…The most memorable release I have ever had the privilege to listen to and review” (WholeNote Magazine). They have been named on “Best of” lists on NPR’s Rhythm Atlas, Finnish National Radio and CBC Classical. They were also nominated for the Folk Music Awards as “Best Performing Artists.”

Payadora won the German world music prize in 2024 (Weltmusikpreis RUTH award) and performed at the famous world music festival, Rudolstadt where they received the award.

“Playful, Spontaneous and Sexy!” -Classical 96.3 FM
#1 Album on the World Music Charts Europe March 2023 Payadora Tango Ensemble Tops the World Music Charts Europe in March 2023

They are currently touring Tango Apasionado- a music act or music/dance performed with PointeTango Dance Company (fusion ballet/tango duo) and The Legend of Carau- a legend told through original music, illustrations, narration and videos of dance filmed in Argentina. They are also touring their album, “Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango” , released by Six Degrees Records, the critically acclaimed for which they composed and arranged music based on testimonies of women who survived the Holocaust. It has received rave reviews and press coverage around the globe, including reports on the BBC, CTV, CBC television and radio, the Bangkok Post, NPR, and RTE Irish Public Radio. “Moving, heartbreaking… the most memorable release I have ever had the privilege to listen to and review.”- Wholenote

Payadora’s lineup features some of the most respected chamber musicians in Canada: Rebekah Wolkstein (violin, vocals), Drew Jurecka (bandoneon, violin, mandolin), Joseph Phillips (double bass, guitar), Clark Schaufele (piano) and Elbio Fernandez (vocals).

“With influences from Argentina to Eastern Europe to the great Astor Piazzolla, Payadora plays the tango like it’s meant to be: sultry, steamy, but with grace and precision. You will be entertained!” – Words + Music magazine

Founded in 2013, Payadora’s broad scope in tango draws from the height of Buenos Aires’ Tango tradition, including compositions by De Caro, Pugliese, Troilo, and Salgan, to the masterful, contemporary sounds of Astor Piazzolla and beyond. They compose and arrange their own repertoire. They created and recorded the score for a one hour film with PointeTango Dance Company with whom they are performing upcoming shows at Toronto Summer Music Festival and various festivals. They have received creation and recording grants from Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council. They received a generous grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to create a multi-arts digital presentation telling an Argentine folk tale through music, dance, illustration and words This project will be free to the public and online in June 2023. Their newest album was in the top 20 albums on the Transglobal World Music Chart.

Performance Highlights:
In October, 2024 Payadora toured Atlantic Canada with Debut Atlantic. In January 2025, Payadora performed their show “Tango Apasionado” with PointeTango Dance Company across Florida including shows in Miami, Key West and Palm Coast.

Payadora has presented concerts and sold-out shows in Poland, Austria, Brazil, Argentina, at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa Chamberfest, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, Stratford Summer Music, Toronto Summer Music, Festival of the Sound, Vancouver Island MusicFest, Toronto Jazzfest, the COC’s World Music Series at the Four Seasons Centre and the World Accordion & Tango Festival in Victoria, Music in the Morning in Vancouver and Vancouver Island Music Festival. Payadora has also collaborated with the London Symphonia, the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony and the Hannaford Street Silver Band, as well as with PointeTango Dance Company, which explores the intersection between classical dance and Argentine tango. Their sold-out 2023 European tour (Madrid, Copenhagen, Budapest and London) included a live-to-air BBC performance.

In November 2025, they will be featured once again with the London Symphonia.