Sancho Sánchez Gil
Clarinetist and Educator.
Sancho Sánchez (*Madrid) began his musical training with his father and was admitted to the Royal Conservatory of Madrid at the age of 13, graduating with honors under Vicente Peñarrocha. He pursued further studies with renowned clarinetists, including Antony Pay, Guy Deplus, and Michel Arrignon.
At 16, he became Principal Clarinetist of the Madrid Amusement Park Band, and at 17, he secured the same role in the Community of Madrid Student Symphony Orchestra. He successfully auditioned for the European Union Youth Orchestra and the World Orchestra of Musical Youths. In 1999, he won the National Casting for Solo Clarinetist at Universal Studios Port Aventura.
As a soloist and orchestral musician, he has performed in prestigious venues, including Philharmonie Berlin, Bastille Opera Paris, Metropolitan Opera New York, and Chicago Symphony Center. He has collaborated with artists such as Montserrat Caballé, Ainhoa Arteta, and Ana Belén, and participated in a tribute concert for Plácido Domingo’s 70th birthday.
He was a finalist in the III International Clarinet Competition “Villa de Montroy” and has participated in final auditions for Orchestre Philharmonique de la Loire, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Orchestre National de l’Opéra de Paris, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (New York).
He has worked as a soloist and orchestral musician with major ensembles such as the Spanish Philharmonic Orchestra, National Orchestra of the Romanian Opera, European Symphony Orchestra of the Mediterranean, Transylvania Festival Orchestra, and Madrid International Orchestra.
Since 2003, he has been teaching at Madrid conservatories, including CPM Amaniel, and has been invited as a lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He has also held teaching positions at conservatories in Ponferrada, Salamanca, and Ávila, led the Yamaha-Hazen masterclasses, and since 2021 has been a professor at the I-AME International Music Course in Prague.
His research focuses on the Spanish Clarinet School, and his master’s thesis explored the influence of Vicente Peñarrocha. In 2024, composer Zulema de la Cruz dedicated her Third Clarinet Concerto to him, which he will premiere.
Sancho Sánchez is a Yamaha-Spain Clarinet Artist and performs on the Custom CSG III model.
