À𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 (1982, Catalonia) has been awarded First Prize for the composition “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲?”

The jury was deeply impressed by the work, which 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝟕𝟓 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫:

Àlex Cassanyes Sabater is a composer, arranger and bandleader known for his distinctive sound and contemporary vision. He has received several international awards, including first prizes at the 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (Copenhagen, 2013), the 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐳 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 (Italy, 2014 and finalist in 2019), the 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐳 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 (2014), and the 𝐄𝐬𝐤𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (Helsinki, 2019).

Cassanyes leads the 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, with which he released 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧 (2018) and later collaborated with singer Anna Roig on La Tendresse. In 2021 he released Composició II with Underpool Records, and the NDR Bigband (Germany) recorded two of his works. His music has been presented at ISJAC symposiums in USA.

He studied composition at ESMUC with leading teachers, and later with Duccio Bertini, John Hollenbeck and Florian Ross. Currently, he is head of the composition department at ESEM–Taller de Músics, and teaches at ESMUC and the Escola de Música de Vilafranca del Penedès.

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬:

It is a true honor to have connected with this jazz orchestra, which reflects the artistic values I hold closest to my heart in my music.

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𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗼 (1997, Indonesia), awarded Second Prize for the composition “𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝟔”!

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫:

Jason Mountario is a composer, arranger, producer, bass player, and mixing engineer from Jakarta. He graduated from 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜, 𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. Won awards for original large ensemble composition and jazz music arrangement at the 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝟒𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 (2019); Downbeat 43rd Annual Student Music Award (2020); and winner of the SCI Jazz Composition Contest (2020). His work Nomenasia was featured at Salihara Jazz Buzz 2021. In 2023, he released the album 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐒 in a jazz trio format and was nominated for Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz Artist at the 2023 AMI Awards. Later, he received Young Talent of the Year from The 46th JGTC Choice Awards 2023.

He is a lecturer at Pelita Harapan University, currently teaching jazz theory, band arrangement, composition and music production.

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬:

“FACE 6” is a recomposition piece of 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠’s work, “DICE”. It reimagines and expands upon musical cells from the world of DICE, unfolding them into six phases. Each section stretches and reshapes the material, exploring new sonic directions. Like a roll of the dice, the piece invites surprise through unexpected shifts and textures.

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𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐥ò 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢 (1992, Italy) as the Third Prize recipient for their composition “𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞”!

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫:
Niccolò Angioni is a hybrid artist – trumpet player, composer, arranger, and visual artist – based in The Hague, Netherlands. His path bridges diverse styles and disciplines: starting piano at age six and trumpet at eleven, he completed classical studies in Florence before discovering a passion for jazz and improvised music.

A graduate of the 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞, he earned a Master’s in Jazz Composition cum laude with distinction for creativity, focusing his research on innovative approaches that combine acoustic instruments, electronics, and live visuals.

His work has been recognized with the 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐳 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 2023 (NL), commissions from Gaudeamus (NL), Basel Jazz Orchestra (CH) and 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭 (NL), and finalist placements at the Barga Jazz Competition for Arrangers (IT) and the Black Pencil Prize 2023 (NL).