Flutist, improviser and composer, born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1957. For eight years he studied Classical Music and played with Carlos Zingaro and his electro-acoustic improvisation trio... He took several workshops on different musical languages such as jazz and improvised music with Steve Potts, Takashi Kako, Carlos Zingaro, Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Richard Teitelbaum and Peter Kowald. He took Contemporary Classic Composition lessons with Emmanuel Nunes and Flute extended techniques with Pierre-Yves Artaud; he also studied Theatre and Multimedia.
He has played solo, in duos and trios in several concerts and some of the most important festivals in the World, having released several CDs.
As parallel activities, he has worked for several years in Music and Drama therapy with handicapped-children; in 1993/95 he organised two improvised music meetings; he took and directed music workshops on improvisation and composition with new technologies. He recently began to do Photograph exhibitions, and has created his author label "Forward.rec" to exclusively release his music projects.
Biography
Flutist, improviser and composer, born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1957. After he studied in Art School, and graduated in Visual Education and Technologies, he became a teacher in 1975, in a Public School in Lisbon.
Bechegas began his artistic activity in 1977, playing both alto and soprano saxophones; he started to perform in the Jazz music area, taking part in many ensembles such as a Swing Orchestra, Jazz-Rock and Contemporary Jazz groups.
For eighty years he studied Classical Music and played with Carlos Zingaro and his electro-acoustic improvisation trio... He took several workshops on different musical languages such as jazz and improvised music with Steve Potts, Takashi Kako, Carlos Zingaro, Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Richard Teitelbaum and Peter Kowald. He took Contemporary Classic Composition lessons with Emmanuel Nunes and Flute extended techniques with Pierre Artaud; he also studied Theatre and Multimedia.
By 1987, after he had finished the Flute and Composition Classic Music Course at the Lisbon Conservatory, Bechegas had dropped the saxophone entirely, and devoted his career exclusively to the flute and improvisation.
He began his electro-acoustic flute solo conception - a project with real-time electronics controlled by the flute; composed and produced music for his Multimedia performances, for Architecture T.V. programs, dance choreographies and video-dance.
Bechegas performed in concerts and festivals in Portugal and abroad, namely: in a duo with Carlos Zingaro in Moscow; solo at III Montreuil / Instant Chavirés Improvised Music Meeting; Lisbon Art Centre concert with Hamid Drake, John Stublefield and Grahm Haynes.
After 1998, he did duo concerts with Peter Kowald, Derek Bailey; solo and duo with William Parker - Jazz Nómades Festival, Paris; duo with Alex V Schlippenbach - Jazz a Luz, France; solo at the Berlin TMM Festival and trios with Phil Minton and Hann Bennink; Fred V Hove and Gunter Sommer – Jazz Dór Festival, Strasbourg, France; André Goudbeek and Peter Jacquemyn at the Antwerp Free Music Festival. During 2005 he played in duos with Barry Guy and Joelle Leandre.
His first CD came out later in 1997 on Leo Lab. After he had released the flute solo "Flute Landscapes"; he edited "Open Secrets", a duo with Peter Kowald; "Right Off", a flute and electronics duo with Derek Bailey; "Open Frontiers", a flute duo with Michel Edelin; "Open Speech", a duo with Alexander Von Schlippenbach; "Open View" with Peter Kowald, and "Open Density" in a trio with André Goodbeck and Peter Jacquemin.
As parallel activities, he has worked for several years in Music and Drama therapy with handicapped-children; in 1993/95 he organised two improvised music meetings; he took and directed music workshops on improvisation and composition with new technologies. He recently began to do Photograph exhibitions, and has created his author label "Forward.rec" to exclusively release his music projects.