Pedro Melo Alves’ Omniae Large Ensemble

Led by drummer and composer Pedro Melo Alves, the Omniae Large Ensemble presents a new chapter in a project that, over the past decade, has established itself as one of the most distinctive examples of the intersection between contemporary composition and jazz improvisation in Portugal. Conceived along the lines of a contemporary chamber ensemble, the group combines meticulously notated writing with spaces for real-time composition, in which each performer plays an active role in shaping the musical discourse.
Originally founded as a septet and awarded the Bernardo Sassetti Composition Prize in 2016, the ensemble expanded in 2020, following a commission from Guimarães Jazz, into an orchestral formation bringing together some of the most significant musicians of the new European generation. The album Lumina (Clean Feed, 2021) received widespread international critical acclaim, earning the awards for Best New Group in the El Intruso International Critics Poll and Best Portuguese Album from Jazz.pt, as well as a nomination for Best Jazz Album at the 2022 Vodafone Play Awards.
The current line-up brings together seventeen musicians based in cities including Porto, Lisbon, Berlin, New York, Bern, and Amsterdam, whose artistic practices span jazz and improvised music, as well as contemporary, experimental, and electronic music.