Joan Jordi Oliver (Mallorca, 1994) is a saxophonist, composer-performer and improviser from Spain based in Zurich, Switzerland. Unsatisfied with the traditional profile of the saxophonist and in permanent search of a very personal voice, his musical practices merge performance, composition, improvisation and electroacoustic and multimedia elements into a very eclectic but individual musical expression. Mainly focused on music of newest creation and on the performance of his own music, his principal interests are the exploration of his instrument, re-imagining the ways to play the saxophone, and the relationship between art and technology. The rediscovery of the voice of the instrument, expanded and transformed through the endless possibilities of the electroacoustic medium, the exploration of new concert formats and the reconceptualization of the performer are also key elements of his work, making him one the most multifaceted instrumentalists of his generation.
An intense activity as a solo performer and as chamber musician has brought him to concert halls in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Finnland, Croatia, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Japan. In many different formations and with very eclectic programs, he has performed in renowned classical concert halls like Elbphilarmonie Hamburg, Victoria Hall in Geneva or KKL in Lucerne, as well as in legendary underground venues like ISSUE Project Room in New York and SuperDeluxe in Tokyo. He has been Artist in Residence at the Future Music Lab program (United States) and at the Estalagem da Ponta do Sol (Portugal), and has attended academies and festivals from all over the world.
Involved in several collaborations devoted to new and experimental music, he performs actively as the saxophonist of y-band and as the live electronics performer of the swiss band Menschenstoff. Together with Stefan Kägi on the synthesizer, a new duo project has also emerged to explore the interaction of electronic sounds in the context of free improvisation. With the Ever Present Orchestra, a line-up dedicated to the music of Alvin Lucier, he has enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate directly with the legendary avant-garde composer and to present his music all over the world. Several of these collaborations have also brought him to work together directly with other composers and artists, bringing many new works to life.
Joan holds a Bachelor Degree in Saxophone Performance (Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón with Mariano García) and a Master’s Degree in Saxophone Performance (Zurich University of the Arts with Lars Mlekusch and Lucas Niggli), with a strong focus on contemporary music and free improvisation. He is currently deepening in his composition studies with a Master’s Degree in Electroacoustic Composition, also at the Zurich University of the Arts, with Germán Toro-Pérez. This rare double training as a performer and as a composer, coupled with his broad interests and active participation in both classical and academic contexts and experimental and underground cultures define him as a multifaceted musician with a very singular expression, always in search of artistic authenticity.
Joan Jordi Oliver | Musician 