Originally from Alaska, bassist Richard Duke began playing electric bass as a teenager and took up the double bass in college. With degrees from University of California Santa Cruz (BA) and Northwestern University (MM) Richard performs throughout the Bay Area with numerous groups presenting Opera, Symphonic Orchestra, Ballet, Tango, Salsa, Jazz, Broadway shows, Cabaret and Rock and Roll. Richard is a member of the Monterey Symphony, Napa Valley Symphony and Sacramento Philharmonic, as well as occasional substitute player with San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, Philharmonia Baroque, and numerous Broadway productions. Show credits include Color Purple, Wicked, Spamalot, Legally Blonde, Young Frankenstein, Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story, Chicago, Light in the Piazza, Edward Scissorhands.

Zac Selissen is a guitarist and arranger whose performance of the guitar has earned him mastery of a wide range of music – from rock to jazz, bossa, and bluegrass, from classical to tango and flamenco. In addition to performing with Tangonero, he spends his time arranging for his classical guitar duo, Duo Symphonious, the University of St. Thomas Guitar Ensemble, and Out of the Chamber Arts Collective. He is currently on the guitar faculty of Community Music Center in San Francisco and New Mozart School of Music in Palo Alto.

Vocalist Irina Martineau is originally from St. Petersburg, Russia. She is a devout participant in Sadonvinkov Russian Musical Theater for 10 years, performing in productions such as La Cenerentola, Nord Ost, Les Misérables and others, both as a drama actress and as a singer. Irina's love of tango music led her to explore the tango scene in San Francisco Bay Area and Buenos Aires. She currently is a lead vocalist in the Open Embrace tango ensemble, performing retro tangos in Russian, English, and Spanish.