Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble

Created in 2016, The Interconnections Ensemble is the brainchild of Brazilian saxophonist, conductor, and multi-award-winning composer Felipe Salles. Interconnectivity is presented at many levels of the group’s artistic vision, from the dualities of musical and cultural influences that have shaped it to its practice of juxtaposing composition and improvisation.

The Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble brings together modern large jazz ensemble writing, contemporary classical textures, and Latin American rhythmic influences in a unique way. The music connects many cultural influences ranging from Brazilian, American, Argentinean, African and European sources. The compositional layering of melodic and rhythmic counterpoint also expresses the interconnectivity behind the musical product. Finally, the exploration of individual improvisation, as a contrast to collective playing, adds another dimension to the ensemble’s sound.

This new aesthetic is the product of decades of research and planning conjoined with the incredible musical talents and experience of some of New England's finest jazz musicians. The members have performed with Chicago, Aretha Franklin, and The Boston Pops, among others.

The ensemble released its first record, The Lullaby Project and Other Works for Large Ensemble, in 2018 on the Tapestry/Capri label, and their second album, a CD/DVD set, entitled The New Immigrant Experience (a project funded by the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship), was out on March 20, 2020. Both albums have received critical acclaim, including 4 and 4.5 stars from Downbeat magazine.