DUO
SIGNAL
ABOUT
Duo Signal
Stablished in 2019 in Basel (Switzerland), Duo Signal is a chamber music group formed by the trombonist Adrián Albaladejo and the saxophonist Alejandro Oliván, with a clear commitment to the creation and diffusion of new repertoire. Both members of this duo have an extensive professional career, have performed in some of the most important contemporary music festivals of the moment. In the year 2023, Duo Signal was awarded with the second prize in the prestigious Swiss contemporary music competition “Concours Nicati 2023”.
Since its inception, Duo Signal has developed several initiatives to encourage the international creation of new music. In addition to selecting specific composers, Duo Signal organises a “Call for Scores” every year which allowed them to commission to 6 composers to date, apart from discovering the music of very talented artists.
Duo Signal has commissioned and world-premiered pieces by composers such as: Santiago Díez- Fischer (ARG, 1976), Nuño Fernández Ezquerra (ESP, 1992), Jon Yu (USA-TWN, 1988), Jaehyuck Choi (KOR, 1994), Kevin Juillerat (CH, 1987), Emre Eröz (TUR, 1995), Dativo Tobarra (ES, 1993), Nicolas Rouvile (BEL, 1989), Fernando Manassero (ARG, 1984) or Mioko Yokoyama (JAP, 1989), Luis Codera (ESP, 1981), Hunjoo Yung (KOR, 1981). Future commissions include pieces by and Claudia Jane Scroccaro (IT, 1984).
Since 2020 Duo Signal has annually organised its own concert seasons in the main cities of Switzerland and has participated in festivals such as Potries Music Fest (ES) or Klexos LAB (ES). Every two years they celebrate Signal + a project where the duo expands the instrumentation with the addition of different outstanding musicians of contemporary music scene. For instance, we have collaborated with Alexander Gabryś, Kirill Zvegintsov, Jürg Henneberger and Marcus Weiss' saxophone class. Future collaborations include the soprano Sarah Maria Sun or the guitarist Francesco Palmieri, amongst others.
Aware of the necessity of helping performers and music creators to thrive in their professional career, Duo Signal has always coupled their commitment to the performance of new music with diverse pedagogical initiatives. One example is our project Signals, a series of interviews to get to know better the composers with whom we collaborate.
Apart from being active teachers of their respective instruments (in the form of individual masterclasses or teaching at conservatoires) they have curated diverse pedagogical projects. As an example of the latter stands out the collaboration with the Conservatoire Supérieur of Castile and La Mancha, where they guided composers in all the stages of the creation of a piece: from giving masterclasses on advance writing for saxophone and trombone to the final performance of the composer’s pieces in concert.
Duo Signal always proposes music for the inquisitive ear. Each concert has a different meaning and they adapt their repertoire with the aim of exploiting the sonic possibilities of the space and the context. They have featured from purely instrumental pieces to the expansion of the group with the addition of audiovisual elements, enthralling the audience with the myriad of possibilities residing in this duo of instruments.
Alejandro Oliván
Alejandro Oliván is a Spanish saxophonist mainly specialized in the repertoire of classical and contemporary music. For him, the opportunity to work with composers and be part of the creative process of new music is an indispensable ingredient in his career. This passion for being part of the development of contemporary music has led him to perform more than 20 premieres and to work with young and renowned composers such as Georges Aperghis, Peter Eötvös, Simon Steen Andersen, Yahir Klartag, Nadir Vassena, Alberto Arroyo, Tobias Krebs, Volker Heyn, Germán Toro Pérez, Florian Bogner, Marcelo F. Lazcano or Bethany Younge among others. As a performer, he has given concerts in countries like United States, Colombia, Canada, Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Germany or Switzerland.
Alejandro, began his musical studies specializing in saxophone at the "Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Huesca" with David Ruiz. During 2010 and 2014 he studied at the "Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castilla y León" under the tutorship of Andrés Gomis. In 2014 he is admitted in the Hochschule für Musik Basel with the prestigious performer and teacher Marcus Weiss to pursue a Master in Performance which he finishes in 2016 with the highest qualifications. In 2018 she obtained a Master's degree in Music Pedagogy at the same university.
During his musical career he has been awarded numerous times in national and international competitions. Among his achievements we can highlight the 1st prize in the competition Basler Orchester Gesellschaft (CH), the 2nd prize in the Kiefer Hablitzel Music Competition (CH), the 2nd prize at the 1st International Saxophone Competition Exigentia (IT) or the 2nd prize at the 11eme Concours du Jura (CH). He has also received scholarships from different foundations such as Lyra Stiftung, Förberg-Schneider Stiftung, Doms Stiftung or Melinda Esterhazy Stiftung.
Alejandro has collaborated with important ensembles and orchestras including the Kammerorchester Basel (CH), ORCAM (ES), Lucerne Festival Academy (CH), Ensemble Collegium Novum Zürich (CH), Ensemble Aventure (DE), Ensemble Lemniscate (CH), Ensemble Zone Expérimentale (CH) or the Swiss Youth Orchestra (CH). He has also collaborated with some of the most prestigious conductors of the moment such as Simon Rattle, Peter Eötvös, Emilio Pomárico or Matthias Pintscher among others. Alejandro has participated in important contemporary music festivals like Darmstädter Ferienkurse (DE), Zeit Räume Basel (CH), Tage Neuer Musik Weimar (DE), Festival Impuls (AT), Festival Rümlingen (CH), Outear Series at Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago (US), Null Point Series Buffalo (US), No hay banda series in Montreal (CA), Rainy days in Luxembourg (LU) or Early Night Concerts in Lugano (CH).
As a great enthusiast of musical pedagogy, he has taught at various conservatories and universities such as the Manhattan School of Music, Longy School of Music Boston, “Conservatorio Superior de Granada”, “Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio”, “Conservatorio Superior de Música de Albacete”, University of Medellín (Colombia), University of Cali (Colombia) or the “Conservatorio Superior de Castilla y León”.
From his interest in new music, he is a member of Duo Signal, Fx Kollektiv and Gyre ensemble. As a member of these groups, he has the opportunity to collaborate with young composers from different parts of the world developing new repertoire for these ensembles.
He is currently assistant professor of saxophone at the Hochschule für Musik Basel in the class of Professor Marcus Weiss.
Adrián Albaladejo Díaz
Adrián Albaladejo Díaz (1993, Alicante) is a trombonist and improviser with a focus on chamber classical-contemporary and experimental music. He is a member of Duo Signal, KlangLab Ensemble and Ensemble Ö! and works regularly with the Kammerorchester Basel. He is a member of the association Konzerte am Ausserberg and is involved in the curation of the annual concert season.
He has worked closely with composers such as Stefano Gervasoni, Salvatore Sciarrino, Sofia Gubaidulina, Franck Bedrossian, Peter Ablinger, Vinko Globokar, Heinz Holliger, Nuño Fernández Ezquerra or Jon Yu.
He has collaborations with musicians, conductors and institutions such as Pierre Bleuse, Peter Rundel, Jürg Henneberger, Divertimento Ensemble, Philippe Herreweghe, Simeon Galduf, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Kirill Zvegintsov, Carlos Mena, Bavarian Radio Choir, Il Giardino Armonico, Ircam, among others.
He has premiered more than 90 compositions at renowned festivals such as Lucerne Festival, Festival Rümlingen, Warsaw Autumn, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Ensems, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Klangspuren Schwaz, Impuls, The Munich Biennale, Unerhörte Musik, Festival ManiFeste and others. He was awarded the Anna Riera Foundation Prize, the second prize at the Concours Juventudes Musicales de España 2013 and the second prize at the Concours suisse de musique contemporaine Nicati 2023.
He has lived in Basel since 2015 and studied at the Hochschule für Musik Basel with Mike Svoboda. He began his studies with Jose Antonio Mira and Pep Burguera, and completed his Bachelor's degree in Barcelona (ESMUC) with Pablo Fernandez.