The 18th World Saxophone Congress was inaugurated in Zagreb with ‘Saxophobia’, an exhibition of saxophones of all types and sizes from Attilio Berni’s vast collection. It is the largest collection in the world, with over 500 musical instruments in addition to 200 toys and accessories and 2000 photographs of famous saxophonists. The Congress will take place from July 10 to 14 with over 400 concerts in dozens of halls, clubs, museums and open spaces of the city.
The first Congress was organised in 1969 in Chicago on the initiative of Paul Brodie. Brodie was soon joined in the endeavor by Eugene Rousseau, with the aim of promoting and spreading knowledge of this instrument and its repertoire, as well as to be a communication network between saxophonists and saxophone enthusiasts.The success of the first Congress prompted the following editions that were held, apart from the United States, in England, Scotland, Spain, Slovenia, France, Germany, Japan, Thailand, Italy and Canada.This extraordinary event is a unique opportunity to compare the styles and personalities of the world’s top saxophonists. Participants can perform as soloists or in small ensembles. They also have the opportunity to exchange experiences in discussions and workshops dedicated especially to young musicians.The very rich programme of the Zagreb Congress also includes areas dedicated to builders of saxophones and technical equipment, as well as to publishers of sheet music and other materials.
Famous world-class artists will be present, including the Dutch virtuoso Arno Borkamp, French musician Claude Delangle, whose repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary authors (Berio, Boulez, Piazzolla), and American saxophonist Otis Murphy and Spanish saxophonist Antonio Garcia Jorge, both winners of numerous international awards.Due to the worldwide fame of our jazz and artistic talents over the years, numerous Italian artists will be present thanks to the support of the Italian Cultural Institute in Zagreb. Rosario Giuliani will perform with the Croatian Television’s Jazz Orchestra conducted by Andreas Marinello, while Enzo Favata, one of the best known international musicians, will perform a solo recital on July 12th.
Among the younger artists, Damiano Grandesso (1990) will perform a recital with music by Luca Francesconi and Philippe Hurel, while Michele Bianchini will present a wealth of compositions by several authors including Giovanni Santini, Nicolas Tzortzis and Fabrizio Volpi.
The Arcadia Saxophone Quartet and the Perugia Saxophone Quintet are among the all-Italian ensembles present while the Chris Collins Italian Trio (Chris Collins – saxophone, Roberto Mattei – bass, Nicolai Stranieri – percussion) is one of the mixed ensembles.
Some of our best performers, such as Fabio Sammarco, have been invited to deliver presentations about the history of the saxophone and the greatest saxophonists of the past (University of Zagreb, July 13).
