Julian Argüelles

Julian Argüelles (born 28 January 1966 in Birmingham, UK) is a saxophonist. He is currently a member of the HR Big Band in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Argüelles started playing with big bands including the European Community Big Band that toured throughout Europe. In 1984 he moved to London. He studied briefly at Trinity College of Music before joining the much acclaimed band Loose Tubes, staying with them for four years and recording two albums. In 1986 he received the prestigious Pat Smythe award for young musicians.

The first album by Julian Argüelles, Phaedrus, featured pianist John Taylor. The second CD Home Truths was a quartet which included Steve Swallow.

Julian has worked with musicians drawn from around the world including Archie Shepp, Tim Berne, Hermeto Pascoal, Steve Swallow, John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Peter Erskine, Chris McGregor, Evan Parker, Mike Gibbs, John Scofield, Carla Bley, Dudu Pukwana, Arturo Sandoval, and Giorgio Gaslini. Julian is also a member of several big bands including The Kenny Wheeler Big Band, Django Bates' Delightful Precipice and Colin Towns' Mask Orchestra.

In July 1995 Julian performed a concerto specially composed for him by Mario Laginha with the Lisbon Symphony Orchestra.

Julian was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 to write 60 minutes of music for a new octet. It was performed and recorded at Bath International Music Festival in May 1996. The group toured and recorded and the CD, called Skull View, was released in 1997 also on the Babel Label. His second octet CD Escapade was released in the autumn on the Provocateur label.

Julian has recently been commissioned to write for the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, his octet (by Birmingham Jazz), Berkshire Youth Jazz Orchestra, Walsall Youth Jazz Orchestra, The Fenland Youth Symphony Orchestra, NDR (North German Radio Big Band) and Royal Academy of Music. In 1999 Julian was the recipient of the Jazz Composers Alliance Composition Award from the USA.

In 1999 Julian released Escapade. His second, some 5 years later, was As Above So Below – a large scale work for jazz and classical musicians featuring the 20 piece Trinity College of Music String Ensemble. The album evolved from a commission that was originally performed in Saint Wendreda's Church in March in the Fens.

In addition to performing, he has taught at the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Glamorgan Jazz School, Edinburgh and Manchester summer schools and the Royal Conservatory, Den Haag. Julian was offered the first position of Jazz Musician in Association at the Royal Northern College of Music and at the University of York.