Lucien Palak is a French saxophonist, composer, and improviser based in Bern, Switzerland. His work centers around extended just intonation, african-american forms of improvisation, and physical transformations of the instrument.
Beginning with studies in philosophy at the University of Strasbourg before devoting himself fully to music. He initially formalized his musical education at the Strasbourg Conservatory before moving to Switzerland to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz from the Bern Academy of the Arts (HKB) where he is currently pursuing a Master’s in Contemporary Composition. His development has been deeply influenced by the mentorship of prominent figures such as Benjamin Weidekamp, Stefan Schultze, Ralph Alessi, and Biliana Voutchkova.
Lucien Palak is the founder of his own ensemble SKHISMA, a nine-piece ensemble for which he writes the music trying to integrate his research in tuning theory with methods and materials from various traditions of improvised and composed music.
During his studies, he got the opportunity to write for established names in the contemporary music scene like JACK quartet and Rei Nakamura.
Lucien Palak is equally at home as a performer. He can be heard in ensembles of all sizes and styles, including QUICKSAND, Duo tempéré[e]+, JJO, AUSLÄNDLER, and the MN 4tet, as well as in solo performances, reflecting his passion for diverse musical languages and group dynamics. Alongside his work as a performer, he values collaborating with fellow composers, both for the interpretative challenges and the creative exchanges they inspire.
Recently, Lucien Palak was awarded the Ammann Falb grant to conduct specialized research on “the augmented saxophone: a sonic exporation of the thunder drum”