Biography

Juani Palop is a saxophonist and teacher from Canals, Valencia. She has lived in the Netherlands since 2018, combining concerts with the Berlage Saxophone Quartet and Trio Abril with her work as principal saxophone teacher at the ArtEZ Conservatorium in Zwolle.

She studied saxophone and cello in Spain. After graduating with honours in saxophone in Valencia, she continued at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Arno Bornkamp. An Erasmus exchange also took her to Paris to study with Claude Delangle. She completed her master’s degree in Amsterdam cum laude in 2009.

From 2010 to 2018, she was a member of the Barcelona Municipal Band. She has also worked with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, Musicaeterna and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra.

In 2018, she returned to the Netherlands to join the Berlage Saxophone Quartet. Chamber music has since become a central part of her work. With Trio Abril, alongside Arno Bornkamp and Frank van de Laar, she explores music for two saxophones and piano through original works, arrangements and new commissions.

Teaching is as much a part of her musical life as performing. At ArtEZ, she works with each student’s way of playing, their questions and the skills they need to develop. Technique and repertoire provide a starting point for building an interpretation of their own.

She has taught at Fontys in Tilburg and in the Young Talent class at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. Together with Javier Alloza, she co-directed ten editions of Alcosax. She continues to give masterclasses and take part in projects including Berlage Academy and Eibarsax.