After working on theatre projects, has your artistic vision changed? What have you discovered about yourself through these experiences?
«Working in theatre has changed my artistic vision. It’s true that being onstage through other disciplines, such as contemporary dance or singing, forces you to have a more complete understanding of what happens on stage.
Theatre is one of the least subjective disciplines, unlike music, which can be more abstract in how it communicates with the audience. Theatre is a very direct experience: the artist and the audience share the same space in real time, and the interaction between them is much more immediate.
When I perform as a musician within a theatre production, my presence on stage shifts. It’s not just about playing, but about becoming part of the space and the moment. There is a presence within the scene that requires you to be very present, and perhaps a little less ‘hidden’ behind the instrument. There’s a scenic play where music is not only sound, but also a visual and narrative element.
Theatre has made me reflect on the importance of scenography, lighting, and movement on stage, and how every detail contributes to the meaning of a musical performance. Experiencing it from the inside has given me a more peripheral perspective on music and has made me want to keep exploring in that direction.»
Which première has been the most challenging or special for you, and why?
«It’s hard to choose just one because each première has been special in its own way. I’ve been fortunate to take part in many projects that have left a mark on me.
n theatre, the premières with 2B Company have been very important experiences.
On a personal level, one of the most significant premières was the one I did a few months ago in Mexico, where I performed Neon Glitched & Overdose, by Luis Torres. It was a very personal project, carried out under very fast conditions but with great care, which made it all the more special.
Soon, with my group Altera Inde, I will première Double Skin, a piece for two alto saxophones and electronics. It’s a work of about twenty minutes that has been the result of a very enriching process of artistic research and reflection.
Another première I remember fondly was when I recorded a piece by Roland Willmann for saxofón alto solo. It was a peculiar première, very demanding both technically and artistically. I also highlight my participation in the Lucerne Festival, where I premiered orchestral music with everything that entails.
One of the most challenging premières was the piece Shakti, by Diana Rotary, in Switzerland. It required playing three different instruments, with very high technical demands. It was an enormous challenge, but I love Diana’s music, and being able to perform it was a privilege.»
In your experience as a teacher, what is the most important thing you try to transmit to your students?
«With my experience as a teacher, I believe the most important thing I try to transmit to my students is based on three fundamental pillars.
The first is workDiscipline, regularity, and consistency are essential. I always tell them it’s not about doing it perfectly or playing flawlessly, because that’s not what’s required. What truly matters is giving your all and making your best effort. That commitment and dedication is what’s really expected of someone who wants to devote themselves to an artistic discipline.
The second is dedication and artistic vision. I want my students to understand that they must fully commit to what they do, because only then will they be able to surpass themselves and develop a vision that is not only technical or focused on execution, but as artistic and broad as possible.
The third, which I consider equally important, is humility. The more you work, study, and learn, the more aware you become of how much you still have to discover. I believe humility is a fundamental tool to keep growing as a musician and as a person.
I also think it’s essential to nourish oneself with other disciplines. Reading, being aware of the world we live in, getting close to literature, painting, sculpture, theatre, opera… even languages. You can’t take in everything, but when, for example, you go to see an opera and understand a bit of Italian, the experience changes completely.
In short, feeding off different disciplines is a way of cultivating the spirit. It’s about acquiring symbolic capital that allows us to understand that, as citizens and as artists, we need to learn not only from what we see, but also from what isn’t so obvious. Culture has symbolic components that, in order to interpret any story—whether contemporary or from another era—we must know and understand.
believe that, really, to give it its full value, art cannot be limited solely to technical execution. It’s essential to know the reason behind a work, to understand what was happening in the world at that time and what led to its creation. That understanding is what truly enriches interpretation and artistic vision.»
What excites you most about the first edition of Eibarsax?
«What excites me most about this first edition of Eibarsax is that it’s truly going to be a meeting point.
I don’t see it as a standard perfection course, but as a space where we’ll be able to play a lot, listen a lot, reflect a lot, share many experiences, and also discover the identity of each of the professors’ recitals.
I think there’s going to be a beautiful opportunity to nourish learning through the students as well, because in the end teachers learn a lot from students, and that kind of bidirectional exchange is something that really motivates me.
I’m also excited that it’s not just a course based on playing for many hours a day, but that there will be time and space where the instrument is valued, but also the way of interpreting and the way of living music..
And in that sense, I think it’s going to be a super beautiful opportunity to share experiences, to share ways of being, ways of seeing art and, in this case, more specifically, the saxophone.»
If your saxophone had a superpower, what would it be?
«I think my saxophone already has a superpower, which is to accompany me.
After so many hours of study and hard work, I feel that it’s an instrument that speaks with me and speaks for me. It reacts the way I need it to react, and it gives me confidence. It makes me feel in familiar and comfortable territory, and that’s something I really appreciate.
If it had another superpower, it would be the ability to travel with me and give me peace wherever I go. In the end, it’s an object that has been in my life for many years, that has accompanied me in all my musical experiences, and that’s still there, evolving with me.
It also has the superpower of withstanding many hours of practice and effort, which is something not everyone can take.
And above all, even if it sounds a bit romantic, I think it has the superpower of making me happy.
After so many years together, I feel that it’s not just an instrument, but a part of me. It has given me many moments of clarity, lucidity, and happiness, whether on stage, in rehearsal, or in any class where I play.»