our newsletter
Coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Composition
Born in Capellades (Barcelona) in 1982, Àlex Cassanyes is a composer and arranger, holding a degree in composition from the Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya (ESMUC). He has studied under artists such as John Hollenbeck, Jim McNeely, Duccio Bertini, and Florian Ross. His career is filled with awards from international competitions in Copenhagen, Barga (Italy), Helsinki, and Granada, along with his own works like the album “Composició II” (Underpool Records, 2021), and major collaborations with artists and ensembles such as the German NDR Big Band or at international symposiums, where even Maria Schneider commented on his music.
Interested in different styles of music, his compositions are rooted in jazz, modern music, classical and contemporary music, soundtracks, electronic music, and traditional Catalan music. His ambitious and distinctive personality is reflected in his instrumentation and contemporary vision, giving his works a unique sound and identity.
One of his most prominent projects is the Àlex Cassanyes Big Band Project (ACBBP), an 18-musician ensemble that recently collaborated with singer Anna Roig on the project La Tendresse (2019-2021). The first ACBBP album was released in 2018 under the title The Garden of Eden.
In 2021, the Underpool Records label released the album Composició II, featuring original music written for a jazz nonet. That same year, he participated in a production with the renowned German NDR Big Band.
In 2017, he took part as a presenter at the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers (ISJAC) symposium in Florida (USA), where his music was praised by American jazz composer Maria Schneider. In 2019, he also participated in the symposium held once again in the U.S., this time in Greeley, Colorado.
He has received international awards on four occasions: he won 1st prize at the “Annual Young European Big Band Composer Competition” in Copenhagen in 2013. In the summer of 2014, he won 1st prize at the “XXVII Concorso Internazionale di Composizione per Orchestra Jazz” as part of the Barga Jazz Festival in Italy. That same year, he won 1st prize in the arrangement competition of the XXXV Granada International Jazz Festival. In 2019, he was awarded 1st prize at the “Esko Linnavali Big Band Composition Competition” in Helsinki, organized by the UMO Jazz Orchestra. Also in 2019, he was a finalist in the “31° Concorso Internazionale di Arrangiamento per Orchestra Jazz” at the Barga Jazz Festival (Italy), where his arrangement was performed by the Barga Jazz Orchestra with trumpeter Dave Douglas.
He is currently also a professor at ESMUC and the Vilafranca del Penedès Music School.
Want to know more?
Contact Us
