Stephen Meyer

Stephen Meyer began his doctoral studies at the Royal College of Music in September 2019. His research concerns the role of the violin in tango through the early-to-mid twentieth century, with a focus on stylistic innovation as well as the larger cultural and socio-political context. In particular, he plans to consolidate an understanding of tango violin from its beginnings until the end of the Golden Age of tango by looking at performance practices, as well as clarify how stylistic developments in tango were influenced by cultural and socio-political factors: immigration, Argentina’s changing socio-economic landscape, and the emergence of the Argentine recording and film industry. Furthermore, he will examine how stylistic and cultural knowledge can be applied to current-day performance practice in tango.

Originally from the United States, Stephen has lived in Belgium since 2007, when he became assistant principal second violinist of the Royal La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra, the National Opera of Belgium. Prior to that, he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and French literature from Yale University, and obtained the Diplôme des Etudes Musicales Supérieures from the Paris Conservatoire (Conservatoire national de region de Paris – Conservatoire supérieur de Paris). After many years as a classical violinist, Stephen turned his attentions towards tango, obtaining a Master of Music cum laude in Argentine tango from Codarts, the Rotterdam Conservatory (the Netherlands). In January 2019, Stephen was named professor of tango violin at Codarts. Stephen has performed tango music throughout Europe, North America and South America, together with his groups Sonico and Tango Por Tres.

Faculties / departments: Research

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