Ana Irene Rodrigues is a saxophonist and educator whose career is dedicated to performance, teaching, and the development and recognition of the saxophone. Born in Venezuela in 1986, she moved to the island of Madeira at the age of five, where she began her musical training and developed a career shaped by the combination of artistic practice, pedagogy, and the creation of educational and artistic projects.

She began studying piano at the age of ten at the then Machico Extension of the Conservatório – Escola Profissional de Música da Madeira. At the age of twelve, she began studying the saxophone under the guidance of Professor Duarte Basílio, an instrument to which she would dedicate her professional career. She completed the Professional Instrumentalist Course in 2004, during which she undertook an internship at the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo, in Porto, where she worked with Professors Manuel Silva and Henk van Twillert.

She continued her studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (Amsterdam University of the Arts), where she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Saxophone in 2010, studying with Professors Henk van Twillert and Arno Bornkamp. During her undergraduate studies, she also participated in the ERASMUS programme at the Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, where she studied with Professor Mario Marzi.

In 2016, she completed a Master’s Degree in Music Education – Saxophone and Ensemble Class at the Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas of the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, under the supervision of Professor Carlos Canhoto.

Throughout her artistic training, she participated in numerous masterclasses and advanced training programmes with some of the most renowned international saxophonists and pedagogues, including Jean-Marie Londeix, Claude Delangle, Vincent David, Jean-Denis Michat, Jean-Yves Fourmeau, Nicolas Prost, Fernando Ramos, Francisco Martínez, Branford Marsalis, João Pedro Silva, Otis Murphy, Kenneth Tse, Gilberto Bernardes, Gil Meijering, and Tjako van Schie, among others.

As a performer, she has developed an extensive career in chamber music, participating in a variety of ensembles and artistic projects, including HBQuartet, DuoSensu with João Paulo Henriques, DuoSpadari with Justyna Jarzab, the trio Allegro Giocoso with Sandra Sá and Giancarlo Mongelli, the interdisciplinary project “Uma Sopra Outra Mexe” with Sara Anjo, and the saxINduo with Nubélia Fernandes. With these ensembles, she has performed at venues including the Musiekgebouw in Amsterdam, Teatro Helena Sá e Costa in Porto, and Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias in Funchal.

Since 2013, she has been a member of the Orquestra de Salão Imperatriz Sissy.

In 2014, she was invited by the Orquestra Clássica da Madeira to perform as a soloist in Alexander Glazunov’s Concerto for Saxophone and String Orchestra, Op. 109, conducted by Martin André, as part of the Madeira Music Festival.

Alongside her performing career, she has developed a strong commitment to saxophone education and the training of young musicians. She regularly participates in national and international festivals, meetings, and educational initiatives, including the International Saxophone Festival of the Azores (FISA) and the International Saxophone Festival of Palmela (FISP), maintaining close contact with current approaches to saxophone performance and pedagogy.

In 2025, she was invited to join the faculty of the International Saxophone Festival of Palmela (FISP), where she gave a masterclass, served on the jury of the International Competition, and performed as a guest soloist in a concert with the Army Symphonic Band, conducted by Lieutenant Renato Tomás. On this occasion, she invited saxophonist Mariana Ornelas to perform with her Marin Loridan’s Orientale for two saxophones and band.

At the same festival, she participated for the first time as a representative of the Conservatório – Escola das Artes da Madeira with the Saxophone Ensemble of the Machico Campus, under her artistic direction. The participation, developed within the framework of her educational work, involved the collaboration of saxophone teachers Duarte Basílio, Nubélia Fernandes, and Mariana Ornelas, with musical direction by Nuno Santos. The project gave the students the opportunity to present their work at an important national gathering dedicated to the saxophone. For this occasion, the composer João Caldeira wrote Da Ilha, a work specifically commissioned for and premiered by the Saxophone Ensemble of the Machico Campus.

In recent years, she has taken an increasingly active role in the creation, coordination, and artistic direction of educational and artistic projects. In 2026, she founded the Conservatório – Escola das Artes da Madeira Saxophone Orchestra, assuming its artistic and musical direction. After several months of preparation, coordination, and fundraising, she led the orchestra, comprising 30 students, to the 11th Dão Saxophone Workshop, providing them with an opportunity for artistic training, exchange, and ensemble playing alongside young saxophonists from different regions of Portugal.

In the same year, she took on the artistic direction of Dias do Saxofone, the first edition of the Saxophone Orchestra Workshop in Madeira, promoted by the Conservatório – Escola das Artes da Madeira in partnership with the Associação de Jazz da Madeira – Melro Preto. As artistic director, she was responsible for the overall conception, coordination, and organisation of the project, bringing together guest teachers, young musicians, and institutional partners in an initiative dedicated to training, artistic creation, exchange, and the development of the saxophone in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

Ana Irene Rodrigues currently teaches saxophone at the Conservatório – Escola das Artes da Madeira, Eng.º Luiz Peter Clode, where she also works in ensemble music and supports the artistic and educational development of young saxophonists. She is a member of the Portuguese Saxophone Association (APS) and continues to maintain an active career as a performer, educator, and artistic director.

Her career is characterised by the integration of artistic practice, pedagogy, and the creation of educational and cultural projects. Through her work with young musicians, she seeks to foster artistic excellence, collaboration, and the sharing of experiences, contributing to the development of new generations of musicians, the recognition of the saxophone, and the enrichment of cultural life in Madeira and mainland Portugal.