William Ludwig & Dean Austin 'The Tango Collective'

The Piazzolla Project

Event Has Passed

Last Show: Friday 22 nd October 2021

The Pheasantry (Chelsea)

Classical music, tango and cabaret - from Kurt Weill to Schoenberg, from Carlos Gardel to Britten, these musical genres have always found ways to meet. To celebrate the music of tango composer Astor Piazzolla in the year that would have seen his 100th birthday, the 'cabaret kings' (The Londonist) join forces with two of London's most exciting classical musicians. Piazzolla's tango is the music of the cities, their poetry and chaos, their solitude and excitement. Piazzolla was the figurehead of nuevo tango, new tango, he ripped tango out of the dance halls of Argentina to place it in the concert halls of the world. Music not to dance to, but to inspire, make us dream and take us to faraway places full of longing and passion.

"cabaret kings William Ludwig and Dean Austin - both accomplished musicians and showmen"

The Londonist

Vocalist William Ludwig and Musical Director and Pianist Dean Austin have established themselves as an acclaimed international cabaret/concert act over the last couple of years.  Dean is a West End Musical Director, William a screen and stage actor (most recently speaking the German dialogue in Fidelio at the Royal Opera under Pappano) and they meet in the middle to devise and perform cabaret shows around the music of Weimar Berlin and tango songs.  They have performed, amongst others, at the Ruhrfestival in Germany, Edinburgh Festival, GREC in Barcelona, Don’t Tell Mama in New York (MAC-nominated) and Crazy Coqs and The Pheasantry in London.  The Londonist called them “the cabaret kings”. Last season’s schedule included a concert for the One Charity for Bono and Chris Martin and a series of Weimar Cabaret concerts at the Barbican Art Gallery.

Beatrix Lovejoy and Ben Chappell are two of the busiest and most accomplished musicians on the London classical music scene.  They both play for Britten Sinfonia and Aurora Orchestra and have performed in London at the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, and major venues across the world, working with world-renowned conductors and soloists. Most recently they performed as part of the 2021 BBC Proms.

Band Line Up

William Ludwig (vocals)

Dean Austin (piano)

Beatrix Lovejoy (violin)

Ben Chappell (cello)