Saxophone Orkest van het Conservatorium van Tilburg en ArtEZ

This concert brings together the saxophone orchestras of the Conservatory of Tilburg and ArtEZ Conservatory, led by Juani Palop Tecles and Ties Mellema. The collaboration grows out of many years of working together in educational contexts and a shared view on sound, ensemble playing, and repertoire.
Juani Palop Tecles and Ties Mellema are both professors of saxophone at their respective conservatories and have often crossed paths in projects, exchanges, and educational situations. They share a similar approach to working with students, with a strong focus on listening, clarity, and collective responsibility within an ensemble.
The combined saxophone orchestra allows for a wide range of colors and textures. This makes it possible to move easily between music that is rhythmically driven, contrapuntal, lyrical, or more spacious in character. The program is deliberately eclectic and reflects different ways of writing for larger ensembles.
The concert includes music by Johann Sebastian Bach, whose Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 offers a clear and energetic example of contrapuntal writing, well suited to the transparency of a saxophone orchestra. Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin brings a very different sound world, with refined gestures, dance-like movements, and a strong sense of color and phrasing.
Contemporary writing is represented by Bart de Vrees, whose piece Herfst was written for the Conservatory of Tilburg Saxophone Ensemble. The work makes use of the full range of the ensemble and plays with atmosphere, layering, and long lines. A more experimental color enters the program with Henri Cowell’s Air and Scherzo, arranged by Erik-Jan de With, with Ties Mellema as soloist. The piece combines lyricism with rhythmic energy and fits naturally within the collective sound of the orchestra.
Alexander Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto appears in an arrangement by Vincent David for saxophone sextet with Juani Palop Tecles as soloist. Rather than being presented as a central showpiece, the concerto becomes part of the larger ensemble context, highlighting dialogue between soloist and group.
Students from both conservatories rehearse and perform together, working on balance, articulation, intonation, timing, and ensemble awareness. The emphasis is on listening and shaping the music as a group, rather than on individual display.

Line up:
Saxophone orchestra
Carlos Saraiva
Desta Hernandez
Emma van de Poel
Floor van Wijk
Gines Pérez Toledo
José Costa
Karlo Zamiç
Lydia Broasca
Luisa Gomez
Sam van Aarle
Thea Vegrini
Zoltan Réczicza
Artistic direction and soloists
Juani Palop Tecles
Ties Mellema

Program

Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 (arr. Jean-Denis Michat)
arrangement for saxophone orchestra

Alexander Glazunov
Saxophone Concerto (arr. for saxophone sextet by Vincent David)
Soloist: Juani Palop Tecles

Maurice Ravel
Le Tombeau de Couperin (arr. Jacques Laroque)
selected movements, arranged for saxophone orchestra

Bart de Vrees
Herfst
written for the Fontys Saxophone Orchestra

Henri Cowell
Air and Scherzo (arr. Erik-Jan de With)
Soloist: Ties Mellema

Johannes Brahms
Hongaarse Dans no. 5 (arr. Arend Nijhuis)