LÍTORE AT THE PALMELA INTERNATIONAL SAXOPHONE FESTIVAL (FISP) 2025!

To wrap up our summer gathering and bring the 2024/25 season to a close, on Sunday, July 6th, we jumped in our cars and headed to Palmela, a charming town south of Lisbon. There, the Palmela International Saxophone Festival took place — an event held every two years that brings together saxophone enthusiasts from all over the world for a week full of activities, professional training, and concerts. In this blog post, we share what we did there and what surprises came with our debut in Portugal.

Lítore Quartet in their concert as part of FISP 2025. Church of Santiago, Palmela, 07/10/2025.

On Monday, July 7th, the festival kicked off with the “Vítor Santos” International Saxophone Competition, which welcomed a great number of young saxophonists across its five categories. We didn’t want to miss the chance to take part in the chamber music category, and after being pre-selected through a video round, we performed the Saxophone Quartet by Alfred Desenclos in the final. Our interpretation was awarded Second Prize!

Lítore Quartet during their participation in the Vítor Santos International Saxophone Competition. Click to watch the video! Cine Teatro São João, Palmela, 07/07/2025.

Over the following days of the festival, we enjoyed a wide range of activities and numerous concerts featuring various ensembles — with, of course, the saxophone always taking center stage. To avoid getting too overwhelmed by saxophone, we also made time to explore the local cuisine and wines. The weather was perfect for a beach day in Setúbal, giving us a chance to unwind from the busy festival atmosphere.

The grand finale of our season was our concert on Thursday, July 10th, held at the Church of Santiago inside the Castle of Palmela. With this performance, we finally made our debut in Portugal and closed out an intense year full of projects and new experiences. In a shared event with the excellent Maat Saxophone Quartet, we performed Pypes and Phantom Galop from the Fantasy Études by William Albright, Fragments Striées by Hèctor Parra, and Andante et Scherzo by Eugène Bozza.

Lítore Quartet receives the 2nd prize at the Vítor Santos International Saxophone Competition. Cine Teatro São João, 07/07/2025.

Many thanks to João Pedro Silva for inviting us to perform at the festival. It was the perfect setting to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new saxophone lovers. We especially enjoyed catching up with colleagues we hold in great esteem, such as Nicolas Arsenijevic, Martin Trillaud, and Nicolas Prost. It was a true pleasure to be part of FISP 2025. Until next time!

Lítore Quartet in their concert as part of FISP 2025. Click to watch the video! Church of Santiago, Palmela, 07/10/2025.