Zavasax was born in 2007 within the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. There, Javier Alloza and Juana Palop began to work together with the idea of making chamber music in its simplest form: a saxophone duo.
They grew under the guidance and influence of Arno Bornkamp and Walter van Hauwe, and started to develop the aesthetics and ideas that represent their personal conception of chamber music.
After finishing their studies in Amsterdam, they soon started to play concerts and began their pedagogical activity with the aim of progressing and growing on stage.
They have performed in concerts as the opening of the Second Cultural Meeting of the Low Country “SinMuga 2010” or the opening of XII International Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Spain and concert halls as Bernard Haitinkzaal, Ignatiushuis, Sweelinckzaal, Muziekgebouw, Holland. Both have been collaborating with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Theatre playing in some of the most important operas of the saxophonist repertoire. There, they had the opportunity of growing together and working with front-line managers as Pablo Heras-Casado, Eliahu Inbal, Emmanuel Villaume or Teodor Currentzis. They also participated in an international tour of the Royal Theatre that took them to the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow in 2011.
In 2009 they obtained the 3rd prize at the International Competition Jeunesses Musicales. From then onwards, they became actively involved. They currently offer courses and masterclasses throughout Spain.
In 2014 they were invited to the International Festival of Saxophone www.saxfestival.nl to give a masterclass and present their project “Inventions” in Muziekgebouw, where they shared the stage with Paquito d`Rivera, James Carter, Otis Murphy, Aurelia Saxophone Quartet, Claude Delangle or Brandford Marsalis.
They are deeply concerned about expanding and promoting saxophone pedagogy, that is why they created the Course-Festival International Saxophone “Alcosax”, which annually hosts students from all over Spain and has international saxophonists as guest lecturers. It is one of their most ambitious and dearest projects.
In 2015, after 8 years of working together, Zavasax felt the need to translate the musical and artistic conception of his career into an album. It is the result of a deep reflection on their repertoire.
Eduardo del Pueyo Auditorium of Zaragoza was the setting chosen to carry out the project, Neu Records managers directed the album and advised them. So “Inventions” was finally released as Zavasax Saxophone Duo Debut CD.