Programming and musicianship continued their beautiful marriage at UKARIA 24, which tonight ranged from the rhythms of Piazzolla-influenced Tango Nuevo to the textures of Piazzolla-influenced Golijov.

James Crabb’s arrangements continued to feature delightfully throughout the weekend, such as his version of Argentinean violinist Antonio Agri’s Desde Adentro for strings, violin, piano and classical accordion. This work also has a connection to the composer who is really at the conceptual heart of the weekend: Ástor Piazzolla, who was a friend and collaborator of Agri.

The Goldner Quartet’s Dimity Hall opened the work with a rhapsodic violin solo, peaking on a high note which Crabb then took over on accordion; the blending was so perfect that it was hard to tell where the violin ended and the accordion began. The two duetted passionately, buoyed up on the romantic string swells of the Australian Youth Orchestra’s Momentum Ensemble.

MC Iain Grandage introduced the next work, explaining the Finnish connections to tango and to drinking – and Fantango by Jukka Tiensuu was evidently written to sound like music as heard by the man who’s had a few too many. It was originally written for a harpsichord of two manuals – with the second manual a quarter-tone...