January in Chicago could use a little heat. Rendezvous Arts audience favorites Emi Tanabe and Gabriel Datcu take the spotlight as Apasionado Duo, pairing violin and guitar in a vibrant musical conversation that crosses styles, cultures and continents with ease. Tanabe, originally from Japan, and Datcu, from Romania, are familiar faces to Rendezvous audiences, known for their performances at the Ravenswood ArtWalk. This season, they finally get an evening all their own. The program promises the fire and romance of Argentine tango and the freedom of jazz, with music from around the world and a few surprises along the way. Tanabe and Datcu make violin and guitar sound tender one moment and electrifying the next, and every piece comes alive with personality. Their chemistry draws audiences in from the first note. At times, the performance carries the intimacy of chamber music; at others, the mood shifts to a late-night jazz set or a café somewhere far from Chicago. With Tanabe and Datcu, the music's direction is never quite certain.

The featured visual artist for this program is Anne Leuck, a Chicago artist, illustrator, designer and educator whose work celebrates curiosity, play and personal storytelling. For more than 25 years, Leuck has worked across painting, illustration and design. At the heart of her practice is a daily sketchbook journal she began in 2001, combining words and images to capture ideas, everyday moments and personal growth. Her work ranges from acrylic paintings and digital illustration to paintings on glass and playful projects like Sudoku Scribbles, created inside finished sudoku books. Like Apasionado Duo, Leuck's work is full of personality, discovery and unexpected turns.

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