Portuguese saxophonist João Faustino has been refining his musicianship for the past several years. Mostly focused on the classical genre, through is journey João had the opportunity to collaborate with numerous artists from multiple music backgrounds. As he will tell you, “ I consider myself a social chameleon, so it seems perfectly natural to have a tendency to apply the same trait to the artistic side of my live”.
Having played with a wide variety of groups that range from wind bands and symphonic orchestras to brass bands and rock bands, João is currently looking for developing a new project, a saxophone quartet dedicated to turn into reality his vision of delivering Portuguese traditional/folk music to new audiences. He expects that this project becomes the touch point between two of his oldest passions, chamber music and his cultural heritage.
Since 2017, João Faustino is a graduate of Aveiro University (Portugal), where he received his Bachelor of Music in classical saxophone. It was during this period that he developed a certain taste for exploring the more “malleable” capabilities of the saxophone. Whether through the timeless Cello Suites by J.S. Bach or through the avid String quartets by Felix Mendelssohn, his desire for “wearing the skin” of instruments other than his own grew stronger over years. Furthermore, his fondness for musical education led him to get a position as a saxophone teacher in its home town music school, where he monitored a small group of students until 2019.
In 2020 João decided to continue is never-ending pursuit towards artistic fulfillment by attending the Master of Music at Fontys School of Fine and Performer Arts in Tilburg (The Netherlands), where he graduated in 2022.
Between “Paredes” (Walls)
Carlos Paredes, born deep in the hearth of Portugal, carried in is shoulders a vast and important family tradition. His gran father Gonçalo Paredes and his father Artur Paredes gave him the noble task of mastering their family legacy. And so he did. This self-proclaimed “amateur” musician lived through one off the most unsettled times of Portugal´s recent history, Salazar´s dictatorship, but during this troubled period he managed to bring to the spotlight the instrument that would become one of Portugal´s most iconic cultural symbols, the Portuguese guitar. Without rejecting the cultural influences received from Portuguese folk music and Fado music, Paredes reinvented the Portuguese guitar. His original compositions and innumerous recordings inspired an entire new generation of portuguese guitar players that contributed to the emancipation of this instrument as a worthy contender for solo performances.
Between “Paredes” is an homage to Carlos Paredes and his family musical legacy that brings to the stage a new perspective on his life work. Some of his most memorable original and recorded compositions played by one of the most versatile chamber music formation, the saxophone quartet, will provide a unique experience that captures the melancholic and profound nature of Portuguese culture.
Specifically created for this program, the set of unprecedented arrangements displayed promises to challenge the saxophone quartet capabilities while transporting the audience closer to Paredes perspective on 1960s Portugal sociocultural scenario.
Repertoire:
Carlos Paredes
• Canção Verdes Anos;
• Variações em Ré menor;
• António Marinheiro;
• Frustração;
• Porto Santo;
• Variações em Si menor;
• Movimento Perpétuo;
Paredes first noticeable discographic adventure, an album entitled “Guitarra Portuguesa” published in 1967, would change the course of Portuguese guitar music forever. From this production came astonishing compositions such as “Variações em Ré menor”, “Porto Santo” and probably his most recognizable piece “Canção Verdes Anos”.
Despite the commotion caused by his previous work, the general public would have to wait until 1971, year when Paredes recorded what many considered his master piece. The album “Movimento Perpétuo” immortalized his presence in Portugal´s cultural scene with outstanding pieces such as “Movimento Perpétuo”, a non-official yet clear reference to Paganini “Moto Perpetuo”, and “António Marinheiro”, a soulful waltz whose melancholic mood calls for Portugal´s nautical history .