I AM ABROAD, the new European project promoted by Taller de Músics designed to strengthen improvised music networks in the European music ecosystem, has selected nine free improvisation artists in Barcelona, Gothenburg and Vienna.
In November, three improvisation and co-creation sessions took place at JazzSí Club in Barcelona, Das WERK Wien in Vienna and Musikens Hus and Brötz in Gothenburg. More than 80 improvisers came together at the three venues to share their creativity with the aim of being selected to internationalise their artistic projects with I AM ABROAD between December 2024 and September 2025.
The artists Leonor Falcón, Lidia Facerías, Vasco Trilla, Casey Moir, Mårten Magnefors, Signe Lykkebo Dahlgreen, Avin Ahmadi, Oliver Biedermann, and Victoria Kirilova will come together in Vienna this December, Barcelona in March, and Gothenburg in September. In addition to performing collaboratively, they will join a professional network designed to support and guide their journey through various pathways in the creative sector. United by their boundless creativity and extensive experience across a diverse range of artistic projects, these artists exemplify the richness and dynamism of their field.
Leonor Falcón
Violinist and violist Leonor Falcón resided in New York until 2022, where she had the opportunity to play in jazz, avant-garde, Latin and classical ensembles. She has collaborated and performed with artists and bands such as Willie Colón, Akua Dixon’s Quartette Indigo, Sirius Quartet, Camila Meza and the Nectar Orchestra, Arturo O’Farrill AfroLatin Jazz Orchestra, Karl Berger Improvisers Orchestra, OKwarteto, Mimi Jones and the Black Madonna, Linda Oh’s Aventurine, Pablo Vergara, Michael Leonhart, Sarah Bernstein’s Veer Quartet, Tomeka Reid, Paula Shocron, and Cecilia López, among others.
Lidia Facerías
Lidia is a pianist from Barcelona and a graduate of Taller de Músics ESEM. With a deep-rooted inclination toward improvisation and musical freedom, she has contributed to projects spanning a wide range of modern music styles. An active figure in Barcelona’s improvisation and jazz scene, she continues to expand her artistic horizons through her work with keyboards and synthesizers. A pivotal chapter in her career came during her time in Nepal in 2015 and 2016, where she taught at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory and collaborated with both local and international musicians on various projects.
Vasco Trilla
Vasco is one of the most active, versatile and creative drummers on the Barcelona scene and has had an outstanding international career in countries such as Brazil, China, Indonesia, Russia, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Germany. He has recorded more than 100 albums, ranging from free improvisation and jazz rock to progressive metal and ambient music. He has released albums on labels such as Clean Feed Records, Cuneiform Records, No Business , Not Two, Astral Spirits, Klopotec, Fmr records, Fundacja Sluchaj, Multikulti Project, Spontaneous Music Tribune, Raw Tonk, Creative Sources. Discordian Records, Gusstaff records, Urpa i Musell, and Tripticks Tapes. He has collaborated with prominent artists such as Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Mars Williams, Patrick Shiroishi, Elliot Sharp Steve. Swell, Susana Santos Silva, and Jasper Stadhouders, among many others.
Casey Moir
Casey Moir is a vocalist who explores the voice as a multifaceted instrument, blending precision with freedom. Her unique approach allows her to weave a rich tapestry of sounds, showcasing vocal qualities that range from raw and intricate to bold and subtle. Active on both the Swedish and international music scenes, she leads the experimental Viva Vocal Ensemble and pursues her solo project, alongside collaborations such as the 13-piece ensemble Été Large, the trio 3 grams, and the improvisational duos Bang and Howl and Moir/Coudoux. Her performances have graced renowned festivals, including CTM Berlin, Now Now Festival, and Sound of Stockholm.
Mårten Magnefors
Mårten Magnefors is a versatile drummer and improviser known for his unique ability to explore rhythmic and sonic boundaries. With a background in both jazz and free improvisation, he is also active in the psychedelic rock scene, where his experimental approach adds a distinctive touch to the genre. Renowned for his creative and spontaneous style, he fosters an intense and conscious dialogue with his fellow musicians and has established himself as a key figure in the Swedish underground and improvisational music scene.
Signe Lykkebo Dahlgreen
With a saxophone in her hands, Signe channels her passion for experiencing the present moment through deep listening, body awareness, and interactive play. She explores the interplay of movement, stillness, and the essence of being fully present. Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, she is an active figure in the contemporary free jazz and free improvisation scenes.
Avin Ahmadi
Iranian lute player Avin Ahmadi, born in 2004 and based in Vienna, trained at the Tehran Conservatory and is now studying Jazz Improvisation at the Anton Bruckner University. With a rich background in Persian music, Avin’s performances combine diverse influences, including jazz and Middle Eastern styles, rhythms and languages. Known for both her solo and collaborative work, Avin brings an emotive and narrative approach to each performance, sharing a vivid cross-cultural musical journey with her audience.
Oliver Biedermann
Oliver Biedermann redefines the trumpet by exploring unconventional soundscapes and blending with electronic elements. He creates a unique fusion of free improvisation and electroacoustic sound art. As the founder of the “Deep Space Collective” and the “Vault – Improviser Session” in Vorarlberg, he crafts music that shifts between fleeting melodies, dense drones, and organic rhythms, resulting in multi-layered, atmospheric soundscapes that challenge traditional boundaries.
Victoria Kirilova
Victoria is a Bulgarian bassist and composer, based in Vienna. Her music is a mixture of diverse influences, ranging from contemporary jazz and chamber music to the poetry and the rhythms of traditional Bulgarian songs. A graduate of the Milan and Vienna conservatories, Victoria is a past winner of the Start Scholarship from the Austrian Ministry of Arts and Culture, the Fidelio Competition and the Premio delle Arti. She has performed at venues such as the Florence Jazz Festival, Bergamo Jazz, Jazz en el Parque (Bogotá), Medejazz (Medellín), Amman Jazz Festival, A to Jazz Festival (Sofia), BOZAR (Brussels), Konzerthaus (Vienna) and Wenshui Art Hall (Taipei).
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I AM ABROAD is a project led and organised by Taller de Músics with funding from the European Union through the LIVEMX call for proposals. Taller de Músics connects and develops the project in collaboration with Catalan Arts Music Export, Export Music Sweden, Austrian Music Export, JAZZ I AM, Kick Jazz, DE/SEMBLE, Tumult Total, JazzSí Club, Kuntpunkt, Göteborg Artist Center, Musikens Hus Göteborg and Brötz.
