VICTOR HUGO VILLENA
He started studying the bandoneón aged 9 in the ‘barrios’ of Buenos Aires. Aged 17, he was appointed as ‘bandoneón revelation’ by the Tango National Academy of Buenos Aires. In 1999, he left Argentina to relocate in France.
​In July 2007, he directed the Opera María of Buenos Aires, performed at the Lisbon National Theatre with his Quintet ‘El Después’ and the soloists of the National Symphony Orchestra of Portugal.
​
Since 2013, he has been the official bandoneonist of singer-actress Ute Lemper, with whom he performs in the major halls worldwide, such as Paris Philharmonic, Frankfurt Opera, Royal Albert Hall.
​
He performs as a soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France Symphony Orchestra Pays de la Loire, Moritzburg Festival Orchestra (Germany), Stockholm Jazz Orchestra (Sweden) and Brussels Jazz Orchestra (Belgio Ask).​
Thanks to his teaching experience, he significantly contributed in forming Yvonne Hahn’s bandoneón class at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional du Grand Avignon.