Alexandre Tavares

Alexandre Tavares is a Portuguese pianist whose artistic identity lies at the intersection of contemporary music, improvisation, and live electronics. Currently based in Basel, he is dedicated to expanding the expressive language of the piano by integrating acoustic performance with live electronics, instrument preparations, and interdisciplinary collaboration. His work challenges traditional performance roles and explores new relationships between the performer, the instrument, and technology.
He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Specialized Music Performance at the Musik Akademie Basel, focusing on contemporary music under the guidance of Marcus Weiss, Mike Svoboda, Yaron Deutsch, Sarah Maria Sun and Gilles Grimaître (his primary piano teacher). Alexandre is also developing his practice in live-electronic performance with mentors Svetlana Maraš and Cedric Spindler.
A central part of Alexandre’s approach is his commitment to creative collaboration. He has worked with composers, conductors, improvisers, and multimedia artists such as Alessandro Perini, Carmel Curiel, Simon Steen-Andersen, Yiran Zhao, among others. He views performance as a living, community-driven act; thus, his collaborative focus extends into his deep interest in improvisation, which he continues to explore through dedicated studies and performance contexts.
While his artistic practice is forward-looking, Alexandre’s foundations are rooted in classical training. He studied in Portugal at the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo, with prior mentorship from Luís Duarte and Luís Filipe Sá. His background includes extensive experience in chamber music, accompaniment, and a heavy exposure to jazz and world music traditions—elements that continue to shape his musical voice.
Alexandre has participated in a wide range of masterclasses, projects, and workshops, also collaborating with established figures in the contemporary music scene – such as Benjamin Kobler, Christian Dierstein, Jürg Henneberger, Nicolas Hodges, etc. His work has been featured in international settings including festivals, ensemble projects, and interdisciplinary performances.
Above all, it is the central question of what the contemporary piano can still mean—and how it can coexist within today’s artistic ecosystem—alongside the role of community in shaping modern sound, that drives his evolving practice.