BIO

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and based in New York City, Emiliano Messiez is a Latin Grammy–nominated composer, pianist, and music director. One of the most in-demand tango pianists in the U.S., he is known for his versatility across tango, jazz, classical, rock, and Latin American rhythms. He has performed worldwide at prestigious venues, including Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Houston Grand Opera, Carnegie Hall Citywide, and many more.

 

A prolific composer, Messiez has written music for several musicals, including Bordello The Musical, which just performed in London and has already received recognition from the National Alliance of Musical Theater with the 2020 Writers in Residence Award, the 2021 Eugene O’Neill Theater Center Festival selection, and The Broadway Bound Theater Festival. He also composed The Guava Tree, Casa Alfonsa, The City Dog and the Prairie Dog, Coyote and the Counting Game—all commissioned by Creede Repertory Theatre in Colorado—and Cousins The Musical. Additionally, he is the orchestrator of Ghost in the Machine by Janine Robledo.

 

Messiez has released multiple albums as a performer, composer, and arranger. His discography includes Ahora (with the Romo-Agri-Messiez Trio, nominated for a Latin Grammy); Psicoporteño (recorded with his 10-piece orchestra Típica Messiez) Silencio (recorded with José Luis Infantino and awarded the UNESCO Prize for Music); El Charrúa (a tribute to Raúl Jaurena with the Underground Tango Ensemble); and Con Todo (his most recent release).

 

Throughout his career, Messiez has received significant recognition, including a Latin Grammy Nomination, grants from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and the UNESCO Prize for Music. His composition De Vidrio has been performed in tango shows and festivals worldwide. His work has been featured in major media outlets such as NPR, NBC, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Playbill.

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Messiez has performed and recorded with some of the world’s top musicians, including Ute Lemper, John Patitucci, Paquito D’Rivera, Diego El Cigala, Dino Saluzzi, Concha Buika, Raúl Jaurena, Fernando Otero, Pedro Giraudo, and Hugo Fattoruso. He is also the pianist for the Broadway and West End hit show Forever Tango, seen by more than eight million people worldwide. In addition, he has served as music director and pianist for the show Tango Buenos Aires, created by Mario & Daniel Celario.

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He has led numerous projects in the U.S. and Argentina, including Típica Messiez (a 10-piece tango orchestra), the Romo-Agri-Messiez Trio (a Latin Grammy–nominated tango trio), Cello & Piano (an original music duo with cellist Amy Kang), Tango Opera Duet (with bass-baritone Federico De Michelis), and Dueling Pianos (a unique tango piano duo with Pablo Estigarribia).

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Messiez’s musical talent was evident from an early age—he began playing piano by ear at three. He studied at the National University of the Arts (UNA) in Buenos Aires, where he later became a faculty member, teaching Counterpoint, Harmony, and Music History. He also graduated from Berklee College of Music’s Escuela de Música Contemporánea (EMC) in Buenos Aires and received two scholarships to study with distinguished Spanish composer Antón García Abril at the University of Santiago de Compostela. With his rich background, vast experience, and continuous creative output, Emiliano Messiez remains a powerful force in tango and contemporary music worldwide.