INFOBOX
Genre(s): Contemporary MusicFrom: Vienna, Austria
Website: www.argokollektiv.com/
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Contact: argokollektiv@gmail.com
BIOGRAPHY
The Argo Collective was founded in 2023 by Panos Nikitaris (piano), Juan Moreda (saxophone), Taikan Yamasaki (drums) and Youngseo Kim (violin) as part of the ‘New Music – Ensemble’ Master’s programme at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). Since its foundation, the collective has steadily expanded and now collaborates with a growing network of musicians, composers and artists. The ensemble brings together violin, viola, cello, double bass, electric guitar, flute, clarinet, saxophone, piano, drums, soprano, electronics, as well as a conductor and sound engineer. This enables the ensemble to perform in solo, chamber music and larger ensemble formations. A key focus lies in collaborating with emerging composers, particularly from the Austrian scene, and in developing new repertoire for contemporary music. At the same time, Argo explores innovative concert formats and inter- and transdisciplinary projects that combine electronic music, visual art, acoustic instrumental modifications and free improvisation. Each concert is conceived as a unique experience and is intended as a form of Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art) in dialogue with the technologies and artistic practices of our time.
The Argo Kollektiv has appeared at festivals such as Wien Modern, Transparent Sound New Music Budapest, Festmus, Suena Festival and aNOther Festival, and has performed at venues including the Musikverein in Vienna, the Alte Schmiede in Vienna and the House of Music in Hungary. Current and upcoming projects include collaborations with ACOM and the mdw, as well as appearances at the Suena, ENSEMS and Festmus festivals. These will feature new works by composers such as Félix Ibarrondo, Antonio Hasbún González and João Pinto. In 2025, Argo released its first digital album, ‘why is that rain?’, featuring music by Marta Gentilucci, Sergej Newski and Yuheng Chen. The collective won first prize at Re_cre@ (Festmus), second prize at the Osaka International Music Competition and second prize at the Leonard Bernstein Institute competition (mdw).