June 1, 2026: QuinTango is coming to Elaine’s this week. Join us on Wednesday, June 3, 6-9pm for “The Stories Tango Tells” — an intimate interview with the group’s founder Joan Singer and composers Ali Cook and Emmanuel Trifilio
Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — Dear friends: It’s a pleasure to invite you to join us on Wednesday, June 3. 6-9pm, for an amazing evening of music, insight into the writing process, and a celebration. It’s the 84th birthday of the founder of QuinTango, international musician Joan Singer.
Soon after she founded this ensemble in 1998, I had the privilege of writing about her for a variety of publications. (As a freelance journalist, when you find a good story, you have to keep telling it!) Joan and her group played at the White House that year, and in the decades since have graced the stages of Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, at the home of acclaimed tango dancer Robert DuVall, and at hundreds more venues around the world.
On Wednesday evening, you will meet Joan and QuinTango’s resident composers, Ali Cook and Emmanuel Trifilio, as they sit down to talk with me about the creative process behind their ninth and most personal CD, VIDA, a work in progress set for release in early 2027.
“While there have been several members of our group, we maintain a core of five stellar musicians who perform with us at concerts in the US and abroad, as well as on our CDs,” Joan shares, noting that QuinTango is currently at work producing its 9th album.
At the June 3 event, Joan will give us a look back at the 30-year career of her group, and give us a look at what is to come at the themed Q&A event, “The Stories Tango Tells.”
Bass player and vocalist Ali Cook explains, “We never quite know what tango will do to a person, as it has a distinct soul and a desire of its own for them. From the music itself, to being in a touring music group, tango has changed each of us, and we continue to watch it change those we share it with. We know that if we give our stories to tango they aren’t the best or worst, they are the real ones.”
About Wednesday’s event:
When: Wednesday, June 03, 2026 from 6-9pm • Where: 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
- 6pm: Meet, greet, and order your meal and cocktails from Elaine’s award-winning menu
- 7pm: Our 45-minute interview with the musicians begins, followed by a 15-minute Q&A with the audience to be produced on our popular podcast and video series
- 8pm: Talk with the artists, buy a CDs and get it signed by the musicians
Scroll down to learn more about QuinTango.
Click here to reserve your free ticket to the June 3 event: QuinTangoatElaines.eventbrite.com
Find more of Elaine’s Literary Salon events here.
Until next Monday: May the magic and music of QuinTango fill your heart and soul. We’ll see you on Wednesday! — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. Inkandescent.us
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Experience QuinTango: Alexandria-based music group QuinTango made its splashy debut on the world stage in 1999 at the Clinton White House State Dinner for the president of Argentina. Robert Duvall danced, and global news networks covered the event. The following morning, QuinTango received an invitation to perform at an international music festival in Costa Rica, and they were off and running. Twenty-eight years later, QuinTango is in its seventh iteration, still evolving and still excited to create and connect. Learn more: quintango.com
Ali Cook, QuinTango
About Ali Cook, bass: Ali’s dream of earning a spot in the double-bass section of a major orchestra ground to a halt when she was seized by a painful syndrome that rendered her arms useless at times. Forced to confront this fork in the road, Ali emerged from the experience healed, and in the process, discovered a trove of music and poetry within her waiting to be shared with the world. She moved to Austin TX, started her Americana group “Ali and the Wild Geese,” and released her first vocal album. Ali is now back in Alexandria, on the faculty of Opal Music Studio (bass, piano, voice and composition) and enjoys appearing with the National, Baltimore, and Detroit Symphonies when her schedule permits.
Emmanuel Trifilio, QuinTango
About Emmanuel Trifilio, bandoneon: “La vida es loca,” proclaims Emmanuel, sipping his mate tea, contemplating Amado Nervo’s poetry, and considering his life. A career-ending injury on the soccer field in his native Argentina allowed him to pick up his guitar and lose himself in music. Before long, the discovery of a bandoneon in a second-hand shop piqued his interest in tango and set him on the path to the United States. With the right instrument at the right time, Emmanuel has taken to the world stage as an acclaimed composer/arranger, and charismatic performer and member of QuinTango.
Joan Singer, founder, QuinTango
About Joan Singer, violin: QuinTango’s founder and director wakes up every morning knowing there’ll be fires to put out and glorious tangos to play. Thanks to a chance meeting with a Dutch tango musician some twenty-plus years ago, Joan combines a love of music with her Scotch-Irish story-telling talents, Quaker-based desire for global connections, and her weakness for glitz. She’s made hundreds of friends and enriched thousands of lives in the process.
About our Elaine’s Literary Salon Host, Jeffrey James Higgins: A retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, creative nonfiction, and essays, Jeff has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Learn more: jeffreyjameshiggings.com
Elaine’s Literary Salon is located at Elaine’s Restaurant, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria VA
About Elaine’s Restaurant: A menu filled with delicious modern Mediterranean cuisine selections is sure to please everyone in your party. The dishes are inspired by exquisite food from Alexandria, Egypt — a blend of Middle Eastern and French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is named for the owner’s grandmother and is based on a promise she made at the age of 12, growing up in Cairo. “I promised my grandma I would someday own a restaurant and name it after her,” shares Cynthia, who is also an author. She and her husband, bestselling thriller novelist Jeffrey James Higgins, are proud to share my family’s recipes with new friends and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.” Located in an 1880s building, it was the former home of the beloved bistro Bilbo Baggins for 38 years. The newly renovated restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River and Founders Park, just a few blocks from The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.