“We went around without looking for each other,
but knowing we went around to find each other.”
Rayuela,
Julio Cortázar
These few words, taken from the first pages of Rayuela, masterpiece of Argentine literature written by Julio Cortázar in 1963, define the deepest essence of the Ensemble Rayuela; An unexpected meeting of four personalities, creating an artistic project together. As in Cortázar's novel, this story begins in the city of lights, beginning a musical sharing of humanity that grows each day as we meet and collaborate. In this way, the Ensemble Rayuela, is an open and flexible formation, adapting itself according to the nature of the project on which we work. We create in our group, our own repertoire with ideas and values that are precious to us. This is in the same way that readers of Rayuela can interpret his novel three different ways, as he explains in his prologue.
Rayuela (hopscotch): It is a children's game where we draw a line with chalk in reference to contemporary Latin American literature, which is the inspiration of the Ensemble Rayuela which formed in 2017, the year of the beginning of their artistic journey.
The Ensemble Rayuela was founded at the Paris Conservatory, upon the meeting of four saxophonists and a pianist. The members of the ensemble are originally from different countries (Spain, Italy and Japan), whose rich cultural combination helps them to connect with other musicians and composers and the propitious encounters lead to the exploration of new musical styles.
The Ensemble Rayuela performed in the Grande Salle Pierre Boulez at the Philharmonie de Paris as part of the festival "Prélude aux concerts." They also performed at "Automne musical grand Châtellerault", "Les concerts de l'Epau", "Festival Européen Jeunes talents", "Saison musical aux Invalides" and “Festival Paseo”. The Ensemble also participated in the XVIII World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb, Croatia.
Their first album, "Tableaux" was recorded under the label DUX, with music written by Modest Mussorgsky arranged by David Walter and original works which are dedicated to this ensemble by Alex Nante and Benoît Sitzia.
Rayuela obtained the Master degree of Chamber Music with the first prize and congratulations from the jury under the guidance of David Walter at the Paris Conservatory.
The Ensemble Rayuela has received prizes from international competitions including the "First Prize” and “Jury Prize" at the 91st edition of the Léopold Bellan Competition. They are sponsored by Henri Selmer of Paris, D'Addario Woodwinds, JLV Sound, the Société Générale Mécénat Musical and the Collège Contemporain.
Nahikari Oloriz Maya
Nahikari Oloriz Maya, obtained the Saxophone Bachelor’s Degree at the Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña (ESMuC) with Nacho Gascón, the DEM with Vincent David at the CRR de Versailles and the Master's Degree at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP) in the class of Claude Delangle and Christophe Bois as well as the Chamber Music Master's Degree with the Ensemble Rayuela in the class of David Walter. She also gets the musical research master's degree in 2019. The same year her work "Eguzkirantz" is published by Editorial Académica Española. With the support of the Fondation Meyer, Anna Riera, AIE, Société Générale - Mécénat Musical and Argorart Foundations, Nahikari has been laureate in different international competitions in Andorra, Spain, Germany and the Ukraine and was awarded second prize in the "Enkor Competition". She currently teaches saxophone and chamber music at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Navarra (Spain).
Raquel Paños Castillo
Raquel Paños Castillo, studies with Mariano Garcia and Federico Coca, continued with Jean-Denis Michat and finally obtained the Saxophone Master’s at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP) as a student of Claude Delangle and Christophe Bois as well as the Chamber Music Master’s with the Ensemble Rayuela and under the tutelage of David Walter. Raquel has won several international competitions and has been awarded a scholarship by the "Fondation Meyer". She is strongly committed to the field of research and the premieres of contemporary music. Thus, in 2018 she obtains the "DAI répertoire contemporain et création" diploma with Professor Hae-Sun Kang, having collaborated with the "Ensemble Intercontemporain" or the "Maîtrise de Radio France" among others, and becomes part of the "Collège Contemporain" in Paris as an active member and administrator. She is currently studying the pedagogy master's degree at the Paris Conservatoire and combines her artistic activity with her teaching work at the Courbevoie Conservatory (France).
Sara Zazo Romero
Sara Zazo was born in Madrid in 1989; she finished her superior studies with professor Vicente Contador at CSM Badajoz (Spain) and completed her formation with professor Marie – Bernadette Charrier in Conservatoire “Jacques Thibaud” (FR) and Pierre Stéphane Meugé at HEMU Lausanne (CH). She wins the Fritz Gerber Award 2018 and a Second Prize of Kiefer Hablitzel Stiftung 2016, also Fondations Lyra, Fondation Max Jost and Fondation Irène Dénéréaz support their career. She wins several national and international competitions. She collaborates regularly with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Orchestre de Chambre de Genève. She is also invited to play with Lemanic Modern Ensemble, Ensemble Contrechamps, Verbier Festival, Lucerne Festival Academy, Lucerne ALUMNI Ensemble, Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival Academy, Orquesta de Palau des Arts, Orquesta de Extremadura. She has worked with Maestros such as Riccardo Chailly, Matthias Pintscher, Simon Rattle, Peter Eötvös, Alan Gilbert, Susanna Mälki, Jonathan Nott, Neemi Järvi, Kazuki Yamada, Christoph Eschenbach. Interested by the music of her time, she has worked with composers such as Simon Steen Andersen, Stefano Gervasoni, Heinz Holliger, Georges Aperghis, Olga Neuwirth – between others – and she participates at Darmstadt Ferienkurse 2018 and 2016. On the pedagogical side, Sara is invited to give saxophone masterclasses in different institutions in France, USA, Switzerland, Spain, England and Australia. Sara is founding member of Altera Inde and IBSUD Quartet (Contemporay music) and Sax Consort (music of the Renaissance). She is also co - director of CONTAINER # BJZ. From year 2016, she is the principal saxophone teacher at Conservatoire de La Broye (Switzerland), and Selmer Arstist since year 2018. http://sarazazo.eu
Kishin Nagai
Livia ferrara
Italian saxophonist, has performed as a soloist with the “Orchestra Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano”, in addition she has collaborated with numerous orchestras including the “Orchestra Accademia del Teatro alla Scala" under the direction of John Axelrod.She has performed in important concert halls such as: Royal Opera House of Muscat (Oman), ORF Radio Kulturhaus, Hall of Belgrade Philharmonic (Serbia). She has been part of important festivals including MusicaRivaFestival, Serate musicali of Milan, MiTo, Festival Le Mois Molière. She collaborated with many ensembles and currently she is member of the Milano Saxophone Quartet with which she has recently produced the CD “Rispetti e Strambotti” dedicated entirely to the music of the italian composer Gian Francesco Malipiero. With the Wien Kons.Sax.Ensemble recorded for the “Stockhausen Foundation for Music” under the guidance of Lars Mlekusch and Kathinka Pasveer, the premiere CD of the composition LINKER AUGENTANZ (Left Eye Dance). She received her Master’s degree at “Konservatorium Wien Privat Universitaet" with Lars Mlekusch, in 2017 she got the Prix de Perfectionnement at the “Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Versailles” with Vincent David and in 2019 Master in Chamber Music at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris with David Walter. She’ s teaching saxophone at the Conservatory Regional of Aubervilliers-La Courneuve and at the Conservatory of Sevran (France).
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kishin Nagai started playing the piano at the age of four. After studying with Hiroshi Nagao at the Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai), he was unanimously admitted to the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP) where he later completed his three Bachelor’s degrees in Piano, Chamber Music and Accompaniment, as well as a Master’s degree in Piano. At the conservatoire, he studied with Jacques Rouvier, Denis Pascal, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Michel Moragues and Géraldine Dutroncy. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in both Vocal Accompaniment and Piano Accompaniment classes at the CNSMDP with Anne Le Bozec and Jean-Frédéric Neuburger. He often works with other instrumentalists and singers including Nikita Zimin, Kohei Ueno, Rui Ozawa and Yo Matsushita (saxophonists), Shun Ishiwaka (percussionist) and Magdalena Geka (violinist). He has already appeared at many music festivals and radio programmes including the World, Saxophone Congress and the Générations France Musique, le live as a soloist and as an accompanist. As a soloist, he already performed with different orchestras such as the Orchestre du Conservatoire (Paris Conservatoire Orchestra), the Tokyo New City Orchestra and the Orchestra Motif, working with famous conductors including Pierre-André Valade.
Vincent David
Vincent DAVID is one of the world's most renowned saxophonist-composers, pushing the possibilities of his instrument to the limit. A complete and accomplished musician thanks to the numerous international prizes he has won during his studies, Vincent has premiered several key works in today's saxophone repertoire such as Dialogue de l'ombre double by Pierre Boulez, Troisième Round by Bruno Mantovani and Trame XIII by Martin Matalon. In 2021, the Academy of Fine Arts awarded him the Grand Prix Artistique of the Cino Del Duca Foundation for his musical career. As a composer, he received the Grand Prix Lycéens des Compositeurs in 2021 and the Prix Collégiens des Compositeurs for his work "In pulse". His first works "Sillage", "Pulse", "Éclats d'échos" and "Échos éclatés" were composed for solo saxophone. Later, he entered the world of the sonata with piano, with "Mirages" and "Nuée Ardente"; Commissioned by the Adolphe Sax International Competition in Dinant, he wrote "L'éveil de la toupie", and then composed "Esquisses" and "Reflets", concertos for alto saxophone and orchestra, "Arches" for soprano saxophone and orchestra, "Rhizome" for alto saxophone and strings, "Linéal" for saxophone and ensemble, as well as numerous quartets and duos. His works are published by the Billaudot publishing house, of which he is one of the directors of the collection. He is also active in improvised music (jazz, contemporary) through meetings with musicians such as Pierrick Pedron, Christophe Monniot, Jean-Charles Richard, sometimes resulting in recordings (Vivaldi Universel and Crossover). He is the founder of the quartet "Fireworks" with Jean-Charles Richard, Stephane Guillaume and Baptiste Herbin, and in 2014, they recorded an album of his compositions for jazz saxophone quartet. Finally, Vincent David gives numerous masterclasses all over the world. He is a renowned pedagogue and attaches great importance to transmitting his experience and his passion for music, promoting curiosity and exigency as driving forces, as he did first at the C.R.R. of Versailles (France) and since September 2019 at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (Belgium). Vincent DAVID www.vincentdavid-sax.fr
Spanish Brass
Spanish Brass is one of the most dynamic and highly regarded chamber music groups on the international music scene. They have participated in some of the most prestigious venues and festivals around the globe, as well as such signal moments as the gala award ceremony of the Principe de Asturias Prize, and recording the music for the play "La Fundación" by Buero Vallejo for the National Drama Center and the soundrack for the film "Descongélate" by Félix Sabroso for El Deseo Producers. In 1996 they won the First Prize in the "Ville de Narbonne" (France) 6th International Competition for Brass Quintets, considered to be the event of greatest prestige for this ensemble. In 2017 the group received the I Bankia Music Talent Award in Spain, for the most influential musical artists, and in 2019 they received the Espai Ter de Musica de Torroella de Montgrí Award and four Carles Santos Music Awards. In 2020, Spanish Brass was honored by receiving the National Music Prize from Spain's Ministry of Culture, the country's highest musical honor. All told, they have released 31 recordings, including three double CDs and 2 CD-DVDs. Spanish Brass has founded two international brass festivals: the Spanish Brass Alzira Festival (www.sbalz.com) and Brassurround (www.brassurround.com). Spanish Brass plays Shires trumpets and trombone, Paxman French horn, Melton tuba and Romera Brass mutes and mouthpieces. They use the BlackBinder application. Spanish Brass uses BAGS instrument cases and are the owners of the BAGS company. In addition, they receive support from the Institut Valencià de Cultura and the Ministerio de Cultura-INAEM. www.spanishbrass.com
Marcos García Vaquero
Born in Huelva (Spain) in 1988, Marcos García began his musical studies at the age of 8. In 2011 he completed his studies at the Conservatorio Superior de Música del País Vasco "Musikene" with Professor Luis González Marti. In 2012 he continued his master's studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin with professors William Forman and Martin Wagemann. He has been a student of the Barenboim-Said Foundation with Professor Rainer Auerbach and has received further specialisation classes with trumpet players such as Frits Damrow, Ole Edward Antonsen, Gábor Tarkövi, Sergei Nakariakov, Mark Inouye, Reinhold Friedrich, Tamás Velenzcei, Jeroen Berwaerts, Eric Aubier, Bo Nilsson, Francisco Pacho Flores, among others. In the orchestral scene, he has been a member of orchestras such as Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, EUYO, Pacific Music Festival. He has collaborated with professional orchestras such as Staatkapelle Berlin, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Berlin Opera Chamber Orchestra, Nord Deutsche Philharmonie, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta de Cadaqués, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, working with conductors such as Semyon Bychkov, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Neville Marriner, John Adams or Daniel Harding among others, performing in the most important concert halls in the world such as Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Paris Philharmonie, Suntury Concert Hall Tokyo, Milano Teatro alla Scala, etc. .. He won the first prize in the Yamaha competition organized by the Association of trumpet players "Alnafir" in 2008 recording the compulsory work "Piezas Andaluzas para trompeta y piano" by Santiago Báez. In September 2017 he won the post of Assistant Soloist in the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid and Titular of the Teatro Real, a position he currently holds. Since the school year 2018/19 he has been a trumpet and chamber music teacher at the Escuela Superior Progreso Musical in Madrid. Marcos is a Yamaha Artist
