Manuel Teles (b. 2002) is a Portuguese saxophonist awarded nationally and internationally with more than two dozen prizes. Highlights include the RTP/Antena 2 Young Musicians Award, the Ise-Shima International Prize, the MCO Opus Artis Paris, and the Young Soloist Award from the INATEL Foundation.
He attended the Conservatório de Palmela and the Lisbon Metropolitana Music School, studying with João Pedro Silva. Since 2020 he is an alumnus of Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi di Milano, in the class of Mario Marzi.
From modern music to the saxophone repertoire, improvised and orchestral, he has performed in concert halls such as Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, Casa da Música, Altice Arena, Coliseu do Porto, Sala Verdi di Milano and Gulbenkian.
He has collaborated with the Kansas University Orchestra, Divertimento Ensemble, MLOrK Milan Laptop Orchestra, Ensemble MPMP, Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, Orchestra G. Verdi di Milano, and with Ensemble Scaligero of Teatro Alla Scala.
In the last years, he has worked with artists such as Jacob TV, Mário Laginha, Jan Cober, Simone Zanchini, Pedro Amaral, Daniel Bernardes, Giuliana Soscia, Johan de Meij, António Victorino d’Almeida, Marc Mellits, and Martim Sousa Tavares.
Together with the percussionist Paulo Amendoeira forms the Astrus Duo that in 2022 released its most recent album “Ascolta!” with music for saxophone and percussion by Daniel Bernardes, João Pedro Oliveira, João Quinteiro, Telmo Marques e Paulo Jorge Ferreira, edited by mpmp – Movimento Patrimonial pela Música Portuguesa.
In 2023 releases the CD “Lisboa-Milano”, a Stradivarius edition, with works for solo saxophone by Luca Francesconi, Vincenzo Parisi, Christopher Bochmann, J.P. Oliveira, and Salvatore Sciarrino, co-funded by Fundação GDA.
In 2019, the year Palmela was a candidate for UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, Manuel Teles received the Medal of Cultural Merit (Silver Grade).
