Alejandro Drago’s musical career began in his native Argentina, where as a small child he accompanied his mother, a professional tango dancer, to her performances. It was she who introduced him to violinist Antonio Agri, a longtime collaborator of the famous bandoneon player and composer Astor Piazzolla. Agri recommended Alejandro to a member of his string ensemble, who began teaching him the basics of music theory.

He received a Russian government scholarship to study at the Moscow State Conservatory under Marina Yashvili, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in violin performance and pedagogy. In 2008, he earned a master’s degree in violin performance and a D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts) in orchestral conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi.

As a soloist, Alejandro has performed in prestigious venues such as the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Hall (with the local philharmonic orchestra), the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and the Kolarac Hall in Belgrade. He has given concerts in Russia, the USA, China, Austria, Switzerland, Lithuania, Taiwan, Belarus, France, Brazil, the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Romania, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Haiti.

His academic publications have become a significant resource for English-language studies on tango. His symphonic and chamber arrangements of Argentine music have been widely performed in Europe, Latin America, and the USA by orchestras such as the Fort Worth Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

In July 2008, he joined the music department of the University of North Dakota as professor of violin and viola and head of the string area and chamber orchestra. He has led masterclasses, seminars, and lectures in Asia, Europe, and the USA at the invitation of institutions such as the Belarusian National Music Academy, East China Normal University (Shanghai), the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), Emory University (Atlanta), and Vanderbilt University (Nashville).

He has received numerous awards, including a special prize at the Rodolfo Lipizer International Competition (Italy, 1992), third prize at the Petar Konjovich Youth Music Competition (Yugoslavia, 1993), and first prize at the “New Talents of Classical Music” competition (Buenos Aires, 1997). Highlights of his recent performances include Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto with the University City Symphony Orchestra (Missouri), a full performance of Wieniawski’s L’Ecole Moderne Op. 10 and Ernst’s Six Polyphonic Etudes in a single concert dedicated to Ruggiero Ricci’s legacy, and the premiere of his own violin concerto – in the USA with Symphony of the Americas based in Fort Lauderdale, and in Europe with the Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra in Minsk.

Critical Acclaim:

“His transcription retains the melodic inspiration of Piazzolla’s original while honoring his biting harmonies and stark instrumentation. Drago is an outstanding musician. His dreamy performance of Invierno Porteño masterfully blended sentimentality with Mozartian beauty. His virtuoso violin technique captivated the audience. He superbly combined elegant café refinement with fiery energy.”
(Entertainment News & Views)