On Saturday June 12th, I had the opportunity to give an online masterclass to four Latin American saxophonists that was broadcasted live on the Youtube channels SER (Saxofonistas Encuentros en Red) and Sax Ven (Saxofonistas Venezolanos).

Due to covid-19, many new initiatives and platforms have allowed us to keep in touch with our close people during the lockdown, in the first moments, and later, it has made it easier to hold events like this one.

While music requires a good internet connection to properly appreciate all the technical and expressive details in terms of sound, the most important thing for me was the virtual approach and try to express my point of view on their interpretive features that do not to go into details that they can only be appreciated in person.

In the link below, you can listen to the four participants, Melanie Guevara, Valentina López, Sofía Montes de Oca and Josué Guerrero, playing this repertoire respectively: Sonata (I) by Paul Creston, Concertino da Camera (I ) by Jacques Ibert, Pequeña Czarda by Pedro Iturralde and Aria by Eugène Bozza.

Please, Latin American friends, spread the repertoire of composers from your countries! If we want the saxophone to be a living instrument, we need to play music from different regions around the world and also the music that is being composed today, as well.

My thanks to Víctor David Marín and all the team that made that event possible. I enjoyed seeing your enthusiasm and motivation to put the Latin American saxophone to the level it deserves.

Let’s keep in touch and see you with the baritone next time, okay?

Joan Martí-Frasquier

Barcelona, July 5th, 2021