Orquesta Z
p r e s e n t s
EMPANADA MILONGA
at St. Clement's, 2837 Claremont Blvd., Berkeley
SUNDAY AUG 9, 2026
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1:30-2:30 Our favorite Maestros are back!!!!
Class with Diego Lanau & Alejandra Saravia
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We've known and loved Diego Lanau as a master instructor for over 20 years, and he brings his fun, friendly, and exquisite teaching style along with his long-time partner Alejandra Saravia.
We are lucky to host Diego and Ale yet again at Empanada Milonga while on tour in the Bay Area...Sunday August 9 at the start of their tour, and Sunday October 11 at the end.
In his 20's, Diego won the Buenos Aires title milonga, and over the years and taught and influenced hundreds of new and advanced tango dancers, in his clear and masterful styles.
Please join us in welcoming back these to great Argentine tango maestreos!!!
2:30-6:30 EMPANADA MILONGA with Live Tango Music by ORQUESTA Z TRIO,
plus our great DJ THOMAS JABUSCH
Part of our mission is to present the best of live tango music when available.
Orquesta Z was with Empanada Milonga at its very founding 13 years ago, and has delighted tango dancers for over 40 performances here and throughout the Bay Area, playing its unique versions of classical, alternative, and original tangos.
Last February, OZ3 (the Trio version of Orquesta Z) performed a set of Piazzolla tangos, and we were requested to play more...so we are adding two tandas of Piazzolla, as well as many of our dancers' favorites. This month, for fun, we are adding the premiere of a brand new tango based on Ben's adventures in Mykonos when he was 24 years old and met the love of his life! Ahhh....tango.
Back by popular demand is our DJ Thomas Jabusch. We met him over 15 years as a the popular DJ at the famed Cell Space in San Francsico, and since moving to Sacramento with his family, has been a fixture in the Sacramento area and beyond (such as his recent stint at Burnng Tango).
We enticed Thomas and his lovely wife Lee Yee to come down to Berkeley and you'll love his selection of largely traditional tango with his mix of alternative.
About Orquesta Z
Read the article from Berkeleyside
In addition to all being life-long musicians, we are tango lovers and dancers who wish to share the passion, the joy, the sadness, and the intimacy that is unique to Argentine tango.
We feel there is room to not only enjoy the richness of the past, but to bring the present into our music, including nuevo tango and our own compositions...but being led by a director who himself is an avid dancer, we know that the key to all of our music is that dancers have to share our passion and joy we have for the tango.
This will be our 9th year of bringing live Argentine tango to the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 9/23/13 Orquesta Z is a registered California 501(c)3 non-profit.
ORQUESTA Z: CURRENT
Bendrew Jong, bandoneon/vocal
Sandy Schniewind, double bass
Emily Bouton, violin
Elena Bouton, violin
Debra Feiger, piano
ORQUESTA Z: ALUMNI
Victoria Perenyi, violin
Gail Machlis, violin
Jim Shallenberger, violin
Wakford Gong, violin
Joy Graham, violin
Ingrid Burger, violin
Carol Braves, violin
Catherine Jolly, cello
Tenzin Peterson, cello
Rebecca Trujillo, piano
Colleen Henry, piano
Barbie Wong, piano
James Shearer, double bass
Resh Michael Ortego, bando/vocal
Didem Kurt, kanun
Lynn Ewing, accordion
Mailing Address:
Orquesta Z
Bendrew Jong, Director
241 W J St
Benicia CA 94510
(925) 818-0800