Manuel Teles (b. 2002) is a Portuguese saxophonist with over twenty national and international awards. He graduated from Giuseppe Verdi Milan Conservatory with Summa Cum Laude under the guidance of Mario Marzi. His musical journey started at Palmela’s Conservatory and Lisbon Metropolitana Music School, studying with João Pedro Silva.

Teles' versatility spans modern music, the classical saxophone repertoire, improvisation, and orchestral performances. He has graced prestigious venues like the Centro Cultural de Belém, Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, Casa da Música, Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, MEO Arena, Coliseu do Porto and Gulbenkian.

His collaborations include performances with the Kansas University Orchestra, Divertimento Ensemble, MLOrK Milan Laptop Orchestra, mdi ensemble, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Ensemble mpmp, Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra and with the Teatro alla Scala’s Ensemble Scaligero.

Has worked with musicians, conductors, and composers such as Salvatore Sciarrino, Jacob TV, Gavin Bryars, Mikel Urquiza, Luís Tinoco, Maxime Pascal, Pedro Amaral, António Victorino D'Almeida, and Martim Sousa Tavares. His parallel interest in other cultural traditions, particularly those from southeastern Europe and India, has been a deep guideline and inspiration to explore different musical conceptions, leading him to meet and work with Robert Olan and Hariprasad Chaurasia. 

In 2019, the year Palmela was a candidate for UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, Manuel Teles received the Silver Medal of Cultural Merit.

Together with the percussionist Paulo Amendoeira he forms the Astrus Duo. In 2022 they released the album Ascolta!, with works by Daniel Bernardes, João Pedro Oliveira, João Quinteiro, Telmo Marques and Paulo Jorge Ferreira.

His solo CD Lisboa-Milano (Stradivarius, 2023) presents works by Salvatore Sciarrino, Luca Francesconi, João Pedro Oliveira, Christopher Bochmann, and Vincenzo Parisi. Amadeus Magazine described his playing as “treating the sax as a rebellious kid” - a description he fully embraces.

2025 brings a new album in duo with pianist Alexandra Tchernakova, featuring music by Mário Laginha, Gavin Bryars, Chick Corea, Fazil Say and António Victorino D’Almeida, under the British label GB Records.