Born in Chacabuco, Buenos Aires, on May 7th, 1940. There he began studying theory with the professor Hector Marseletti.
At the age of fourteen he was incorporated as a bandoneonist into his teacher‘s orchestra.
From 1965 to 1975 he played with his trio in Chacabuco, consolidating his knowledge as player and conductor. His trio performed with most of the remarkable singers such as Roberto Goyeneche, Alberto Marino, Floreal Ruiz, Alberto Hidalgo, Raúl Berón and Jorge Casal among others.
In 1978 he was invited by Osvaldo Pugliese to be part of the bandoneon section of his famous orchestra, and immmediately started writing his first arrangements for the orchestra. Since 1984 until he left the orchestra he was the lead bandoneonist of the orchestra and wrote 25 orchestral arrangements for Osvaldo Pugliese’s repertory.
He composed the piece “Chacabuqueando” which was a huge success since the first time it was performed.. Some other compositions are “Maypa”, “Sigo aquí”, “Pilo”, “A Quinquela Martín”, “Contorneando” and “Tango a Pugliese”.
He has toured around USA, Japan, China, Europe, Center and South America.
In 1989 he founded Color Tango Orchestra and which had its debut in Holland on January of 1990. He organized the orchestra’s repertory and printed Pugliese’s style into each arrangement he wrote and still continues to write.
In 1996 he gave a Master Class in National Conservatory of Rotterdam, Holland.
In 1997 he was invited as Distinguished Argentine Artist in 50° Holland Music Festival, performing in “El Arte del Tango”, at the Carre Theater, Amsterdam. He was chosen for this event for his knowledge on Pugliese’s style. For the same reason, on December of 1999, he conducted Tango Seis Sextet performing in Turin, Italy, in the ocassion of the New Millennium.
He gave a Master Class in Buenos Aires for the Orquesta Escuela del Tango as Guest Master conducting, on December of 2002, the orchestra at the Colon Theatre Opera House in the ocassion of the Tribute to Master Osvaldo Pugliese.
In October 2012 he was selected as one of the fourteen main tango bandoneon players to participate in the tribute to Aníbal Troilo “Troilo Compositor”, making a CD and several concert performances.
He received numerous distinctions for his artistic career. In October 2012 he received the “Order del Buzón”, and in December of the same year the Chamber of Deputies of the Province of Buenos Aires declared Roberto Álvarez “Outstanding Personality of the Culture of the Province of Buenos Aires” in honor of his artistic career. He was declared “Illustrious Citizen of the City of Chacabuco” by the Deliberative Council of his hometown. In 2015 he received the diploma that accredits him as “Honorary Academician” of the National Academy of Tango. In 2019 he received the “Gobbi de Oro” for his artistic career, a distinction devised by Maestro Horacio Ferrer to honor creators.
He constantly stated: “I followed Osvaldo Pugliese’s Orchestra closely during the eleven years I was part of it and I will continue playing his style in Color Tango until the end of my days”…
On March 5, 2023, at the age of 82, Maestro Roberto Álvarez left us.