Argentinian Folk Music with Jorge Retamoza & Kieran Sawyer - 'A la parrilla' - Concert 1

Argentinian Folk Music with Jorge Retamoza & Kieran Sawyer

A la parilla - Concert 1 of a new series

Literally meaning 'on the grill', a la parilla is an expression from Argentinian folk traditions. This is music that is raw, honest, and high-risk, like cooking on open flames.

A la parilla is a new concert series dedicated to folk music and curated by Blue Mountains hidden gem, guitarist Kieran Sawyer, with the Bowerbird Collective.

Concert 1 features Argentina's leading saxophonist, Jorge Retamoza, alongside Kieran on guitar, for a night of intimate and spontaneous music-making that is not to be missed.

Concert duration:

The performance will last for approximately 75 minutes without interval.

Jorge Retamoza

With nine album releases as a leader, saxophonist and composer Jorge Retamoza is a leading figure in the exploration of Argentinian tango, infused with the precision of chamber music and the gestures of jazz.

An awarded composer, he is the first Argentine saxophonist to record Piazzolla's Seis Estudios Tanguísticos in their entirety, pioneering the world's first recording of the work in a version for solo saxophone and string orchestra.

A member of the Buenos Aires Symphonic Band since 1998, he is saxophone professor at the Manuel de Falla Superior Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires. In 2026 he makes his Australian debut alongside the Canberra Tango Quintet.

Keiran Sawyer

Kieran Sawyer is a guitarist specialising in the fascinating colours of Tango and Argentine folkloric music. Based in the Blue Mountains of NSW and appearing regularly in sold-out performances at the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room, from a young age Kieran has been intrigued by different folk rhythms, leading him on a musical journey spanning across multiple continents and genres.

He now specialises in the harmony and pulse of Tango and Argentine folk music. Kieran has studied in Australia, Spain and South America, spending 6 months living and absorbing the musical culture of Buenos Aires in 2019. Kieran has performed numerous leading ensembles in recent years, including the Canberra Tango Quintet, the Owen Salomé Tango Quartet, and as a duo partner of bandoneonist Rodolfo Caivano.

Kieran is also a dedicated GP working across the Blue Mountains.

Tibbi Whalan Hall is a beloved cultural space located at the Katoomba-Leura Community Centre. Moments from the main street of Katoomba, the hall’s cozy charm and fine acoustics make it a perfect venue to experience live music.