The PRÉLUDE Saxophone Quartet (J. A. Martínez Valverde, soprano saxophone, J. R. Olmo Fernández, alto saxophone, F. J. Sánchez Fernández, tenor saxophone, F. J. Nieto Checa, baritone saxophone). was born from the obsession of four professional saxophonists with an inexhaustible perfectionist spirit and a life dedicated to the study and pedagogy of the saxophone. This saxophone quartet was created with the aim of making it known and appreciated by the public, with a little known formation, but with unique expressive possibilities.
This chamber music group performs a wide repertoire ranging from transcriptions of baroque and classical works, original works for saxophone, as well as popular works such as tango, Spanish music and music with jazzy accents. As a chamber music group, the PRÉLUDE Quartet has a great deal of artistic experience and, what's more, it is constantly evolving. This is demonstrated by the numerous advanced courses it receives from renowned saxophonists such as the Habanera and Diastema saxophone quartets, as well as Claude Delangle, Arno Bornkamp, Alexandre Doisy, Manuel Ureña, Alfonso Padilla, among others. In addition, each of them has been formed by French saxophonists of international character, instilling in them the musicality and criteria that characterise the French School.
Currently, the Quatuor PRÉLUDE is immersed in exploring projects around a "guiding thread" that gives meaning to the works played in the programme, including Four Sound Stations (contemporary music), A Rhythm of Tango (tango music), Homage to Pedro Iturralde, An Ideal of Sound (evolution of the music for this group), Sax Actually (original works for the formation and written by living composers), etc.
A large part of the repertoire is based on original saxophone quartets, many of them released and dedicated to the quartet itself. Today, the Quatuor PRÉLUDE is in permanent contact with composers, working, researching, etc. on the expressive possibilities of the saxophone and the expansion of the original repertoire for this formation. It works with internationally renowned composers such as Juan Antonio Simarro, Santi Báez, Juan Emilio Ramírez, etc. On the other hand, the PRÉLUDE Quartet is also interested in new technologies in its daily work. It plays with electronic devices (iPad) and digital scores. The PRÉLUDE Quartet helped and supported the development of the Beatik App.
From a pedagogical point of view, the PRÉLUDE Saxophone Quartet gives numerous advanced courses and lectures throughout Andalusia, with the main aim of instilling an appreciation of saxophone music in future saxophonists. The members of the PRÉLUDE Quartet are professors at the professional conservatories of the Junta de Andalucía.
