Álvaro Collao
León

Saxophonist / Composer /Arranger / Improviser / Educator

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About

Álvaro Collao León (Master of Arts, Performance and Education) is a pedagogue, saxophonist, composer and arranger based in Vienna (AT). He teaches saxophone and chamber music at the Joseph Haydn Institut für Kammermusik-Neue Musik (MDW) and at the Leonard Bernstein Institut of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW). He simultaneously teaches Classical Saxophone and Improvisation at the Friedrich Gulda School of Music in Vienna and is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Tarapacá International Music Festival and the ChileSaxFest.

His Saxophone and Artistic studies have taken place in Santiago de Chile under the guidance of Miguel Villafruela in the University of Chile, in France at the Conservatoire of Bordeaux with Marie-Bernardette Charrier and in Austria at the Music of Arts Privat University of the city of Vienna with Lars Mlekusch, Andrew Middleton and Wolfgang Liebhart. He is a prize-winner of several international music competitions, such as the first Pan American Competition of Classic Saxophone Mexico D.F, the Vienna Fidelio Competition 2012 and 2014 and in the Osaka international competition 2015, the special prices Hyogo Governor awards, Vienna Performing award and "Also award" from Magazin The Sax, 2017 Michigan M-Prize competition and Startstipendium für musik und darstellende kunst 2017.

He is a fantastic performer of contemporary music repertoire and has already collaborated with many great composers like; Friedrich Cerha, Georg Friedrich Haas, Hannes Kerschbaumer, Peter Eötvös, Olga Neuwirth, Beat Furrer, Hannes Kerschbaumer, Francois Sarhan, Gerhard E. Winkler, Simon Pironkoff, Katharina Klement, Georges Aperghis, Alberto Posadas, Miguel Farias, Chaya Czernowin, Peter Erskine, Mauro Hertig, Alexander Stankovski, Jorge Sánchez-Chiong, Leo Brouwer, Daniel Osorio, Pierluigi Billone, Øyvind Torvund, Ragnhild Berstad, Jennifer Walshe, among others.

He has performed in the most important concert halls and venues in America, Asia, Africa and Europe, including the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, Wien Konzerthaus, Wien Musikverein, Mozarteum grosser saal Salzburg, Vienna Volksoper, Porgy and Bess of Vienna, National concert hall of Taipei, Gasteig Concert hall in Munich, Music Academy Katowice, Bibliothèque Mériadeck France, Teatro del Lago Chile, Corpartes Chile and in festivals such as Allegro Vivo Kammermusik Festival, Wien Modern, Salzurg biennale, Wiener Festwochen, Klangspuren Schwaz, Vienna-SaxFest, Cervatino weeks of music from Guanajuato-Mexico, Aspekte Festival Salzburg, Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik, International Festival at the UNAM in Mexico City, Ensems Festival, Bregenzer Festspiele.

He is in cooperation with the ÖENM Österreich Ensemble für Neue Musik, Orchester Volkoper Wien, Wiener Symphoniker, PHACE Ensemble, Klangforum Wien, Schallfeld Ensemble, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Kärntner Sinfonieorchester, the Vienna Saxophonic Orchestra, Avido duo, Reider-Collao and FIVE SAX. Alvaro is Selmer Paris and D’Addario artist.

About

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TESTIMONIALS

Alvaro Collao León ist ein großartiger Musiker mit enormem musikalischem Bewusstsein und Repertoire Kenntnis. Seine hervorragende technische Brillanz ist gepaart mit großer Musikalität und Klangsinnlichkeit.
In kammermusikalischen Besetzungen zeigen sich auch deutlich seine ausgeprägten kommunikativen Fähigkeiten die das Zusammenspiel erfordert. Seine Offenheit und Intelligenz macht eine Zusammenarbeit zum großem Vergnügen. Dies alles hat er immer wieder und insbesondere in seiner Interpretation meines Werkes für Sopran und Saxophon „in mia vita da vuolp“ unter Beweis gestellt.

- Uni. Prof. Beat Furrer, Composer , conductor and Founder of the Klangforum Wien Ensemble.

Ich kenne Alvaro Collao León als Saxophonist seit einigen Jahren sowohl als hervorragender Solist, als auch als wunderbar sensible, integrative Musikerpersönlichkeit.
Wir haben neulich mit dem Phace-Ensemble an meiner Arbeit "DIA DE" wieder zusammengearbeitet (in Klangspuren Schwaz 2020, Tiroler festival für neue Musik).

Ich schätze seine außerordentliche Flexibilität, seine großartigen technischen Fähigkeiten sowie seine große musikalische Kreativität. Er ist ein ausgezeichneter Künstler und Saxophonist unserer Zeit mit einer soliden Technik und eine abwechslungsreiche Palette von Klängen.

Während der Zusammenarbeit zeigt er sich immer bereit, alle technischen Details minimal zu perfektionieren, die Ästhetik der Musik zu verstehen und persönlich und originell zu beherrschen.

Es war eine große persönliche und professionelle Freude, mit ihm zusammengearbeitet zu haben.

- Pierluigi Billone, Komponist

"Splendide

artist d’envergure internationale"

- Marie Bernadette Charrier, France

We praised Alvaro as the best woodwind performer of the Osaka competition!

- Magazine The Sax, Japan

"Alvaro demonstrated throughout the gala concert a technical mastery and musicality of the highest level! Features that were even more evident in the “Cadenza” where he shows all the possibilities of the saxophone"

- EL MERCURIO, After Gala concert with the Symphony orchestra from Chile

"Alvaro is a passionate, dedicated musician and one of the most complete saxophonists and artist: He is a fantastic performer of contemporary music repertoire and has already collaborated with many great composers. Alvaro is also great saxophonists for the standard repertoire and furthermore, his strong interest and talent in Jazz and Ethno music is completing wide pallet of artistry on the highest level. At least as important as all those extraordinary musical qualities, Alvaro has a very fine and integer personality which will also allow him to become one of the most sought after and interesting saxophonists of his generation"

- Uni. Prof. Lars Mlekusch, Switzerland, Saxophonist and conductor (Zurich University)

I often have the opportunity to work with him as a member of various ensembles. Alvaro is always perfectly prepared and fulfilled his tasks with the highest level of musicality.

I always enjoy it when someone reads musical textures comprehensively, i.e. takes dynamics and articulation into account beforehand and also shows an interest in every musical context.

- Prof. Johannes Kalitzke, composer and conductor (Vienna, Austria)

Collaboration

CHile SaxFest

The most fresh and exciting celebration of the Saxophone in Chile! A modern concept of repertory and performances!

Tarapaca Music Fest

International Festival dedicate to the North of Chile, to enrich the young people through the music education, innovation, workshops and gala concerts.