Live tango music since 2008
Live Music Program
Centering tango as a full artistic experience — recognizing the essential role of musicians alongside dancers and listeners.
Our Mission
Since 2008, Tango Mercurio has championed Argentine tango as a regional force within DC, Maryland, and Virginia (the DMV area) to break down barriers, promote social cohesion, and serve as a catalyst of community development through local arts education. In this spirit, Tango Mercurio’s mission seeks to cultivate cultural understanding and unity through Argentine tango by providing various programs focused on dance, music, and culture.
Guided by our vision to foster an inclusive tango community reflective of the vibrant diversity of the DMV area, we promote tango as a powerful contributor to the holistic well-being of individuals and the community at large, be it seasoned dancers, complete beginners, or communities that would otherwise never have been exposed to the dance, music, and culture of Argentine tango.
The Live Music Program
The Live Music Program centers tango as a full artistic experience, recognizing the essential role of musicians alongside dancers and listeners. It highlights the historical and ongoing interplay between those who create the music, those who dance to it, and those who connect to tango through listening.
The Tango Mercurio Ensemble
In October 2024, Tango Mercurio launched the Tango Mercurio Ensemble, hiring leading local tango musicians. The Ensemble made its debut at the Holiday Gala milonga at La Cosecha in December 2024, one of our best-attended events to date.
Impact & collaborations
The Ensemble has generated significant enthusiasm in the regional tango community and enabled collaboration between local professionals and visiting artists from other cities and countries. Through performances and partnerships, the program expands musicians’ skills in tango, offers professional growth opportunities, and creates an entry point for other local musicians interested in the genre.
Educational role
Through the Live Music Program, local professional musicians receive meaningful opportunities to deepen their expertise in tango and to grow artistically. The program also creates entry points for other musicians in the community who aspire to become tango musicians.
Meet the performers
The musicians behind the Tango Mercurio Ensemble.
Heyni Solera
Director of Tango Mercurio Ensemble: Bandoneonist / Composer / Ethnomusicologist
Valerie Higgs
Piano
Holly Nelson
Violin
Cyndy Elliott
Bass
Maxfield Wollam Fisher
Cello
Looking ahead
The success of the Tango Mercurio Ensemble in 2025 has reinforced our commitment to sustaining and expanding the Live Music Program into 2026 and beyond. Going forward, the program will prioritize integrating live music into dance events, presenting tango in concert and chamber settings (including at youth and older adult outreach sites), supporting local professionals at the forefront of modern tango, and providing a platform for musicians to collaborate, engage, and educate one another.
Funding goals
The Live Music Program has an annual cost of approximately $33,000, with over 60% dedicated to paying and supporting professional musicians and the balance covering essential contractor and logistical expenses. With core operations supported by institutional funders including the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Mihir Desai Foundation, Tango Mercurio seeks an additional $18,000; the first $15,000 raised will be matched dollar-for-dollar through existing grant funds, doubling the impact of new contributions.
The Ensemble in action
