Hugo Potenza was born on May 12th 1946 in Villa Crespo, Buenos Aires, and began at a very early age to receive piano lessons from his father, Roque Potenza, himself a bandoneonist.

 

In 1961 he enrolled at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, graduating in 1964 with the title „Maestro Nacional en Artes Visuales“. In the same year he took up his studies with Cayetano Marcolli in harmony, counterpoint and composition. In 1968 his professional activity as a pianist began, and in 1970 he enrolled at the Conservatorio Manuel de Falla, graduating in 1972.

 

In 1979 Potenza turned his attention to the composition of film scores. He enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and begang studies in film scoring. On the grounds of his academic achievements he received a scholarship in 1982 to continue and complete his studies. He graduated in 1984 with a degree in film scoring and composition. One year later he received his first offer to compose the score for „La Plaza“ – a weekly television programme, screened by WGBH TV in Boston, a production which awoke the interest of other local producers, opening doors to new opportunities and becoming a milestone in his artistic career.

 

In 1988 he composed the piece „Tanquimia“ for WGBH in Boston for a documentary film about the evolution of the tango (Broadcast by 93 channels as part of the Public Broadcasting System in the USA). „Tanquimia“ was nominated for an Emmy award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989 and received the 1st Prize Fellowship Award from the Massachusetts ArtistsFoundation and the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities.

 

Hugo Potenza is dedicated to expanding his repertoire of musical compositions, exploring new dimensions within thie contemporary tango scene. He works as a composer, arranger and teacher in Buenos Aires.