Fernando Ramos

Fernando Ramos is a Portuguese-based multidisciplinary saxophonist living in Porto.

Canadian-born, he began studying music at the age of 6. After turning 14 he starts playing the saxophone moving two years later to Portugal where he studied with Fernando Valente. In 1997 he moves to Amsterdam, Holland after being accepted at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam where he obtained his degree in 2001. He was invited to continue his studies at school having finished his Master degree "Voorgezette opleiding Muziek" in Performing Arts in 2004.

He had the pleasure of working with some of the most prestigious classical saxophonists including Claude Delangle, Nobuya Sugawa, Marcus Weiss, Eugene Rousseau, Arno Bornkamp, Kyle Horch, Mario Marzi, Jean-Yves Formeau, Trouvere Quartet among others. He also was present in workshops with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Chris Potter, Hermeto Pascoal, Ari Hoenig, Anner Bylsma, and Kenny Werner among others.

He actively works together with various composers in creating a new saxophone repertory having more than 40 works dedicated to him both solo pieces and for the diverse ensembles he belongs to.

Upon returning to Portugal, he becomes a crucial part of saxophone teaching having produced a whole new generation of performers and teachers.

At the age of 24 he was chosen as Professor at the Superior School of Music and Performing Arts of Porto [ESMAE - Polytechnic University]. Presently besides this, he also holds the saxophone and chamber music position at the University of Aveiro and the Espinho Professional Music School.

 
 

Besides teaching he is active giving numerous masterclasses all over Portugal, throughout Europe. He is also a regular jury member in competitions throughout Portugal and Spain.

He regularly performs with the Porto Symphonic Orchestra - Casa da Música and Remix Ensemble-Casa da Música and has been a member of the C. van Amsterdam Saxophone Orchestra, Educational Department-Casa da Música (World Music Day- “Studi per l'intonazione del mare by Salvatore Sciarrino/2013), the Portuguese Saxophone Orchestra, La La La Ressonance.

He has performed at the Berlin Philarmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Casa da Música, Splendor, Amsterdam; Teatro Helena Sá e Costa; Teatro-Circo, Braga; Teatro Rivoli; Centro Cultural de Belém (Lisbon), São Luís e Teatro Aberto (Lisbon); Old Royal Naval College Chapel (London), Centre Cultural La Llacuna (Andorra La Vella), All Saints Chapel (St. Andrews, Scotland) among others.

He is is a core member of QuadQuartet, KinetixTRIO (with Sergio Carolino & Jeffery Davis), STP|Trio (with Gonçalo Dias and Telmo Marques), Grain[z] (with Nuno Aroso and Dimitris Andrikopoulos) and KinetixDuo (with Jeffery Davis), and in 2010 founded the F.L.U.X Collective, a contemporary saxophone ensemble with all of which has performed throughout Europe.

At this moment he is completing his Doctorate degree in Performing Arts at the University of Aveiro and is working on his first solo cd.

Fernando Ramos is a Selmer-Paris Saxophones, D'Addario /Rico Reeds and Sliverstein Ligatures Performing Artist.