Press Reviews

Melomano de Oro to the monographic disc of Jesús Villa Rojo interpreted by the Sax-Ensemble and Francisco Martínez
The critique of the album says: The interpretation of Francisco Martínez and the different saxophonists and other musicians (piano, percussion) seems to us to be exemplary: scrupulous respect for the maestro’s score, enthusiasm and dedication when interpreting; and very good recording, great presence and fidelity. Not being an album for all palates, it is worthwhile to be heard and known by all good open-minded music lover and, of course, absolutely mandatory for lovers of saxophone and performers of this noble instrument, so linked to jazz. Congratulations to Jesús Villa-Rojo for this original, solid and creative proposal and to Francisco Martínez for his excellent interpretive work, carried out with an impeccable technical virtuosity at the service of the most rigorous and profound expression.
MELOMANO, 03-03-2016; Luis Agius

 

The titular simphonic band of the Musical Society La Paz will pay tribute in the next concert of Santa Cecilia to who is one of its best musicians and with more international projection born in the bosom of its music band. Next November 26 we will have the opportunity to listen to him as a soloist in the concert that will direct the music band directed by maestro Espinosa performing Concertango by composer Luis Serrano Alarcón.
LA RAMBLA, 26-11-2016

 

Next we listen to Benet Casablancas with his Pastoral (2012), absolute premiere. In three parts without interruption. The allusion to the pastoral topic, says the author, is manifested in the breadth and spaciousness of the extreme sections, in sharp contrast to the central section, more moving and energetic. The six instruments of the chamber orchestra develop pages of great virtuosity, although the sound (always intense and cantabile saxophone) prevails, in short, highlighting Francisco Martínez in the agility with which he obtains from the solo instrument all his diversity of technical and expressive resources .
MUNDOCLASICO, 27-09-2012; José-Luis López López

An integral of the important production for saxophone left by Edison Denisov in charge of one of the best specialized ensembles in the instrument such as the Sax-Ensemble Group and his solo sax Francisco Martínez, thus providing a vibrant aversion to the work of the gigantic Denisov.
DIVERDI, 2007; Antón Piedrahita Tirado,

 

*FLOOD OF PREMIERES: …The Sax-Ensemble presented five recent scores at the Auditorio Nacional de Música conducted by José Luis Temes, who added some lines to an impressive career, always serving the newest and most admired music.
LA RAZON, 23-12-2006; Alvaro Guibert

 

*WONDERFUL TRIP BY TOMÁS MARCO: Brilliant performance of the three voice soloists – Pilar Jurado, Mª José Suárez and maybe in the lead, Alfonso Echevarría- each of them forced to play different characters; as brilliant was the performance of the model “Sax-Ensemble group” conducted by Francisco Martínez…
ABC 1-10-2002; Leopoldo Hontañon

 

*SAX-ENSEMBLE: LONG LIVE OUR MUSIC: The Sax-Ensemble, this group of saxophones, piano and percussion conducted by Francisco Martínez, performed in the Auditorio a varied programme with American, Russian, English and Spanish music. It is not a matter of shouting long live our music, but the fact is that the most interesting, the most beautiful and refreshing of this programme was Spanish music… the Sax-Ensemble performed everything with their well-known quality and enthusiasm.
LA RAZON 15-11-2001; Álvaro Guibert

 

*THREE PREMIERES AT THE SAX-ENSEMBLE CONCERT: On Monday, we attended one of the concerts that the Sax-Ensemble, conducted by Francisco Martínez, is carrying out in the region of Madrid. The concert took place at the Teatro Monumental and it began with the premiere in Spain of the “Concerto Piccolo”, by Denisov, of which the Sax-Ensemble ,conducted this time by José de Eusebio, offered a fantastic version, not only precise but also expressive. In fact, the whole concert was interpretatively of top-level.
ABC 22-12-99 ; José Luis García del Busto

 

*GRANADA, A MEETING WITH MUSIC AND DANCE: The Minister of Education and Culture, Esperanza Aguirre, gave yesterday the National Awards for Music and Dance 1997 to the composer José García Román ,to the Sax-Ensemble group for interpretation and to the dancer José Antonio in Dance… In her speech, the Minister stressed the fact that, in interpretation, “it is the first time in history that this award is obtained by a chamber group, and I want to express my special satisfaction for this fact”.
AGENCIA EFE; 20- 6-97.

 

*THE SAX-ENSEMBLE, NATIONAL MUSIC AWARD FOR INTERPRETATION: For ten years the notes of the Sax-Ensemble have burst in festivals and arts centres throughout the world: “trying to give qualify to the saxophone literature and take Spanish contemporary art wherever necessary”.
ABC, EL PAIS, EL MUNDO etc.; 20-11-97

 

*THREE HEAVYWEIGHTS: The concert hall of the Club Diario Levante and the audience gathered there were presented last Friday with the presence of three heavyweights of Spanish contemporary music: the performers Francisco Martínez and Kayoko Morimoto and the composer Zulema de la Cruz. The concert revealed some keys to the performing profession such as fully believing in what is performed – believe in the music contained in the scores performed – a high technical and musical qualification allowing to tackle without difficulty any of the pieces written today with current composing languages and codes and, finally, the constant, univocal and necessary dialogue with the composers, which is the real original of so many masterpieces of 20th century music.
DIARIO LEVANTE, 27-4-97; José Luis Galiana

 

*DIALOGUES WITH THE SAX-ENSEMBLE: The Sax-Ensemble, group conducted by Francisco Martínez and made up of a saxophone quartet, piano and percussion, gave a concert on Wednesday for the cycle “20th Century Music of the Symphonic Orchestra” of RTVE. In the programme, six Spanish compositions were performed, all of them recent and written for the Sax-Ensemble… In the whole, it was a wonderful concert, very well interpreted and which received satisfied applause from the audience.
ABC, 16-4-94; Álvaro Guibert

 

*A COUPLE OF GENERATIONS: The call by the CDMC in the same room (21-IV) entrusted to the Sax-Ensemble conducted by Francisco Martínez and the electronic music laboratory of the said Centre were particularly rich in offering exclusives.
SCHERZO, June 93; Leopoldo Hontañon

 

*THE LEFT EYE WINK: Together with the piece by Stockhausen, the Sax-Ensemble premiered two excellent pieces for saxophone group and magnetic tape by Adolfo Núñez and by Zulema de la Cruz, as well as two other pieces by Agustín González de Acílu and Luis Blanes, all in a really exemplary performance.
RITMO, June 93; Álvaro Guibert

 

*SPANISH PREMIERE OF THE LEFT EYE DANCE BY STOCKHAUSEN: With a wonderful beginning at the Chamber concert hall at the Auditorio, the “Left Eye Dance” by Stockhausen was interpreted for the first time in Spain. The Sax-Ensemble, conducted by Francisco Martínez, was the protagonist of this premiere which was performed in the programme with four interesting new pieces by Adolfo Núñez, Zulema de la Cruz, Agustín González de Acilu and Luis Blanes…They played the five pieces with mastery, musicality and, most important of all, palpable love for new things, and they received a warm and well-earned ovation.
ABC, 25.4.93 Álvaro Guibert

 

*RETURN OF THE OLD GURU: Since the fifties and for more than twenty-five years, Stockhausen was together with Boulez and Nono the greatest renewer of the European musical avant-garde… The Sax-Ensemble version was simply admirable. But there was much more, four interesting Spanish pieces, three of them a premiere and a recently premiered one… All wonderfully performed by the Sax-Ensemble conducted by Francisco Martínez.
Diario 16, 23-4-93; Tomas Marco

 

*THÉÂTRE LA PASSERELLE DE GAP: The Saxophone ensemble carried out one of the most brilliant endings, especially with the premiere of the quartet by María Rosa Ribas.
Le Dauphine Liberé (France)

 

*V CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL IN ALICANTE: Pages by the Spanish-Argentinian Alejandro Civilotti, in an ambitious piece, Mensaje al Vacío; by María Escribano in Jondo; by Jesús Mula, from Alicante, in a sort of tribute to his region, and by Manuel Seco, who, in his Concierto de la Senda nº4, continues the rereading of past music; all these were clearly presented by the Sax-Ensemble with saxophones, piano and percussion, conducted by Francisco Martínez.
El País, 25-9-89; Enrique Franco

 

*V CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL IN ALICANTE: The best performance of the Auditorium, the Concierto de la Senda nº 4 left a good final impression… we are not used to hearing the saxophone quartet, which uses an instrument that may seem limited in resources but that has wide possibilities…
La Verdad, 22- 9-89; S. Balseyro

 

*GETTING TO KNOW THE SAXOPHONE: The Contemporary Music Festival in Alicante is accompanied this year by the II European Meetings for Saxophone, with important soloists such as Daniel Deffayet, Claude Delangle, and the Sax-Ensemble, which will be presented in Alicante…
El País, 18- 9-87; J. Genís