SAXGO ARTISTIC DIRECTION

Matjaž Drevenšek (SI) is a full professor of saxophone and the Vice Dean at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, a soloist and a chamber musician. He is a member of the Zagreb Saxophone Quartet, SOS Saxophone Orchestra, and other ensembles with which he performs throughout Europe, South America, Asia, Canada and the USA. As a soloist, Drevenšek performs with prominent symphony and wind orchestras in Slovenia (Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, RTV Slovenia Symphonic Orchestra, SNG Maribor Symphony Orchestra, Slovenian Army Orchestra, and Police Orchestra), as well as abroad (Hong Kong Festival Wind Orchestra – China, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra and Big Band, Zagreb Soloists, Croatian Chamber Orchestra, and Croatian Army Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Orchestra of the Republican Guard – France, Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra – GB, Emory Wind Ensemble and University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble – USA). He takes part as a jury member in many Slovene and international competitions for young musicians (Austria, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Germany, Macedonia, Poland, and Serbia). Drevenšek has premiered over 50 works of Slovenian and foreign composers, and has taken part in 20 discography projects. He was the president of the Saksofonija Music Society, which hosted the 14th World Saxophone Congress in 2006. Moreover, he also served as president of the Slovene Jeunesses Musicales association. Since 2004, he is the artistic director of the International Saxophone Meeting in Slovenia and International Saxophone Competition in Nova Gorica. 

Boštjan Simon (SI), after completing his saxophone studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, he returned to Slovenia and co-created numerous ensembles with an international reach. With the ensembles Trus!, Velkro and Litošt, he presented the language of improvisation on stages that were not used to it. Currently he is the group leader of the ‘There Be Monsters’ group, with which he performs in Slovenia and other countries. Moreover, he occasionally performs in the following ensembles: TEJO – Trieste Early Jazz Orchestra, Big Band of RTV Slovenia, Milan Stanisavljević Quintet, Robert Jukič Quartet, Quartzite Quartet and Big Band Nova. He focuses on saxophone improvisation using different effects and live sampling, and on techniques of polyrhythmic compositions.