Alfonso PADILLA
JLV AMBASSADOR
« Clarity & Precision »
From the very first try, the JLV ligature offered me a clear, precise, and powerfully projected sound.
It allows me to focus fully on my musical expression.
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THE BIOGRAPHY OF ALFONSO PADILLA
Alfonso Padilla, an internationally renowned Spanish saxophonist, stands out for a career marked by concerts, creations, and masterclasses around the world.
A versatile performer, he excels in both the classical and contemporary repertoire, while maintaining a highly regarded teaching activity.
His remarkable career makes him one of the most active and influential figures in today’s saxophone world.
Internationally renowned Spanish saxophonist, Alfonso Padilla has established himself as one of the most active and versatile figures on the contemporary music scene.
His influence extends across numerous countries, as evidenced by the concerts, recitals, and master classes he has given in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, France, Denmark, Estonia, Poland, Switzerland, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Israel, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, and the United States.
An eclectic musician, his tastes and interests encompass a wide diversity of styles.
Today, he shares his activity between the interpretation of classical and contemporary music, as well as the teaching of the saxophone.
He takes part in numerous ensembles and artistic projects, among which:
➤ the Ziryâb Saxophone Quartet
➤ the Icarus Duo (saxophone & guitar) with Alberto Plaza
➤ regular collaborations with the Zahir Ensemble
➤ multidisciplinary projects with Alqvimia Musicae
➤ collaborations with the flamenco choreographer and bailaor Andrés Marín
Teaching and master classes
Deeply committed to pedagogy, Alfonso Padilla has been teaching since 1998 and currently holds the position of saxophone professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Manuel Castillo” of Seville.
He regularly leads master classes in Spain and abroad, notably in prestigious institutions such as:
➤ Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (Tallinn, Estonia)
➤ Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana (Lugano, Switzerland)
➤ Royal Academy of Music – Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium (Aarhus, Denmark)
➤ CRR de Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris, France)
➤ Conservatorio “Jacopo Tomadini” (Udine, Italy)
➤ Conservatorio “L. Perosi” (Campobasso, Italy)
➤ Institute of Music “Frédérik Chopin” (Warsaw, Poland)
➤ Vorarlberger Landeskonservatorium (Feldkirch, Austria)
➤ Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussels, Belgium)
➤ ESMAE (Porto, Portugal)
➤ Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal)
He is also invited to numerous international events, such as:
➤ Eventosax (2011, 2014, 2016 – Rome, Italy) with Fabrizio Paolleti
➤ International Saxophone Week Porto 2012, alongside J.M. Londeix, Arno Bornkamp, and Henk van Twillert
International artistic career
In 2014, he undertook a tour of the United States, giving lectures and recitals at four renowned universities:
Messiah College, Susquehanna University, Mansfield University, and the Eastman School of Music.
Invited to the Vienna Saxfest 2015, he performed as a soloist at the ORF Radiokulturhaus.
He also takes part in the World Saxophone Congresses:
➤ 17th edition (Strasbourg, 2015)
➤ 18th edition (Zagreb, 2018) where he premieres numerous works for saxophone, saxophone & guitar, quartet, or saxophone & choir.
In 2016, he participated in the V Seminario/Encuentro entre Compositores y Saxofonistas of the University of La Plata (Argentina), where he gave lectures and recitals in Buenos Aires and La Plata.
That same year, he was invited to the I Asian Saxophone Congress (Chiayi, Taiwan), where he performed as a soloist with the CYC Wind Orchestra and taught at the National University of Chiayi.
After several years of research, Alfonso Padilla rediscovered and reinterpreted in 2019 the forgotten piece Rapsodie für Saxophon und Orchester (1939) by Hannes Kuegerl, with the Grazenuniversität Orchester under the direction of Alexandr Skorovogatko.
He also performs as a soloist in Panama with the Banda Republicana Nacional, and in Bressanone/Brixen (Italy) with the Orchestra Euthelia.
In 2023, he was invited as a soloist alongside Mario Marzi at the opening concert of the XIX World Saxophone Congress in Gran Canaria, accompanied by the Gran Canaria Wind Orchestra conducted by David Fiuza.
In 2024, he performed as a soloist at the 3rd European Saxophone Congress in Trento (Italy) with the Banda dell’Aeronáutica Militare.
In 2025, he is a soloist at the XX World Saxophone Congress in Harbin (China).
More recently, he undertook a tour in Japan with his Icarus Duo, performing in particular at the Music in Forest Festival in Osaka and Kyoto.
Recordings
➤ Tetraphone – Ziryâb Saxophone Quartet
➤ La nuit, le jour – Icarus Duo
Academic training
Alfonso Padilla studied at the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Rafael Orozco” of Córdoba, under the guidance of Bernardo Zagalaz and Manuel Ureña.
He further refined his skills with major figures of the saxophone: Daniel Deffayet, J.M. Londeix, Claude Delangle, Vincent David, Phillip Braquart, Gilles Tressos, among others.
He pursued continuing education with Eric Devallon (CNR of Bayonne) and later with Arno Bornkamp (Conservatorium van Amsterdam).
Also passionate about the humanities, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities at the University of Jaén, followed by a Master’s degree in Musical Research at the International University of Valencia.
HIS SAXOPHONE EQUIPMENT
From the very first try, the JLV ligature allowed me to produce a clear, precise, and projected sound, which helps me focus on musical expression.
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