João Arrobas

Pianist | Composer

João Arrobas is a Portuguese pianist currently residing in Bern, Switzerland, where he is pursuing a Master in Performance - Jazz under the mentorship of the renowned Django Bates at the Hochschule der Künste Bern. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music – Jazz from the Escola de Música e Artes do Espetáculo in Porto, following his classical music training at the conservatory of Bragança.

Throughout his career, João has collaborated with numerous Big Bands in northern Portugal, most notably the Orquestra Jazz de Espinho, performing alongside acclaimed artists like Elliot Mason and João Barradas. Since relocating to Switzerland, he has showcased his new projects at the International Jazz Festival of Bern with CECO Quartet and Espar. 

João's musical style is heavily influenced by pianists such as Bill Evans and Tigran Hamasyan, along with his classical roots and a deep connection to Portuguese folk music. His playing and compositions reflect this rich blend of influences, contributing a distinctive voice to every project he undertakes.

Bio

Projects

Espar

Through waves of consonance and dissonance, we aim to reflect the depth of the work of female poets such as Edna St. Vincent Millay in beautifully [dis]organized music.

Ruiqi Wang - voice; Joshua LeBlac-Demers - drums;
João Arrobas - piano; Ulysse Loup - electric bass

Lucien Palak Quartet

Saxophonist and composer Lucien Palak's music blends sensibility and force, creating melodic arcs within sound and silence. Rooted in Jazz, his multi-faceted compositions range from sharply written heads and atonal free improvisation to fully composed duo pieces with quirky rhythms and challenging harmonies. This is what this 4tet is set to explore, making room for creativity and self-expression.

Lucien Palak - tenor sax; Marcel Maffli - double bass;

João Arrobas - piano; Joshua LeBlanc-Demer- drums

Quicksand

New original music is on the way from a forward-looking jazz quintet. QUICKSAND is set to bring fresh sounds inspired by an intimate journey through one's psyche. Stay tuned for new content as we prepare to launch this exciting project soon!

João Arrobas - piano, keys; Gianni Narduzi - double, electric bass; Damien Kuntz - drums; Lucien Palak - tenor sax, flute; Mattia Faccini - alto sax; 

Music

Espar

Studio Recording

Live highlights

Lucien Palak Quartet

Alessandro Alarcon Trio

João Arrobas Trio

Solo performance

Photos

By: Maria João Lavoura

By: Maria João Lavoura

By: Maria João Lavoura

By: Maria João Lavoura

By: Maria João Lavoura

By: Maria João Lavoura

By: Maria João Lavoura

By: Maria João Lavoura

By: Anna Studer

By: Anna Studer

By: Stefanie Kunckler

By: Stefanie Kunckler

Concerts

2024

August

18.08 Banda Filarmónica de Bragança feat. Herman José - Festas de Bragança (PT)

September

03.09 Quicksand - Master Recital - HKB Auditorium (CH)

Upcoming Events

Past Events (selection)

  • 18.06 Lucien Palak Quartet - Bachelor Recital - HKB Auditorium (CH)

    05.06 Alessandro Alarcon Trio - Master Recital - HSLU Club Knox (CH)

    02.06 Bern Art Ensemble - Pop-up Festival - Progr, Bern (CH)

    01.06 Pukwuanda - Pop-up Festival - Progr, Bern (CH)

    16.05 Lucein Palak Quartet - Chrut u Rüebe - BeJazz, Bern (CH)

    03.05 Espar - Studio Recording (CH)

    30.04 Solo Performance - HKB Auditorium (CH)

    29.04 Jahresprojekt concert - HKB Auditorium (CH)

    27.04 Duo performance with Craig Lees - Stimmwelten - Inselspital, Bern (CH)

    26-29.03 Espar - Internationales Jazzfestival Bern (BH)

    02.03 Bern Art Ensemble - Progr, Bern (CH)

  • 07.12 AJO Quartet – Chrut u Rüebe – BeJazz Club, Bern (CH)

    24.11 Orquestra Jazz de Espinho feat. João Barradas – Novembro Jazz Festival - São João da Madeira (PT)

    03.09 Dual Maps – Concertos na Praça - Bragança (PT)

    28.07 Joarrobas Xaviqueira – Festival Setra - Vizela (PT)

    01.07 Orquestra Jazz de Espinho feat. Edmar Castaneda – International Music Festival of Espinho (PT)

    03.06 Kat-Tog – Pop-up Festival – Progr, Bern (CH)

    03.06 New York Contemporaries Ensemble – Pop-up Festival – Progr, Bern (CH)

    18.05 Na03Ta – Chrut u Rüebe – BeJazz Club, Bern (CH)

    04.05 Solo Performance - Halt auf Verlangen/JazzSpot – Spittelkapelle im Burgerspital, Bern (CH)

    20.04 Le Jardin en Mouvement (Alexandra Grimal) – Botanical Garden of the University of Bern (CH)

    21-25.03 CECO Quartet - International Jazz Festival of Bern (CH) 

  • 02.09 TURAHEE – Ar d’Jazz - Arcozelo (PT)

    31.08 Orquestra Jazz do Douro – Summer Fest - Sabrosa (PT)

    03.08 NTS + RANDOM – Café Concerto Francisco Beja - Porto (PT)

    25.06 Orquestra Jazz do Douro – Municipal Hall of Murça (PT)

    18.06 Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos – Real Vinícula Square - Matosinhos (PT)

    21.05 EJP Ensemble – Citynizer Plaza - Porto (PT)

    19.05 EJP Ensemble – Serralves, Porto (PT)

    19.03 Orquestra Jazz de Espinho feat. João Barradas – Quartel das Artes - Oliveira do Bairro (PT)

    12.03 Orquestra Jazz de Espinho feat. João Barradas – Auditório de Espinho l Academia (PT)

Contact

Reach me at:

joao-612|at|hotmail.com