David Sanchez

GRAMMY® award-winner David Sánchez is recognized around the world as one of the finest saxophonists of his generation. His mastery of the instrument is undeniable and his sound unmistakable.

The influences of Afro-Puerto Rican music can be clearly heard on his Latin Grammy-nominated recording “Carib” (2019). It presents original compositions inspired by traditional rhythms and melodies of Puerto Rico and Haiti. "Puerto Rican saxophonist long has stood at the forefront of digging deeply into Afro-Caribbean musical roots. "Carib" probes Puerto Rican and Haitians influences with extraordinary insight, Sánchez's singularly plush tone on tenor intertwined with many rhythmic strands", Chicago Tribune. The album was also nominated for the Latin Grammy award and the NAACP award.

Sánchez's unique musical sensibility can be traced to his home, Puerto Rico, where he began playing percussion and drums at age 8. He migrated to tenor saxophone a few years later. While a scholar at the prestigious La Escuela Libre de Música in San Juan, he took up the flute, clarinet as well as soprano saxophone with teachers Angel Marrero and Leslie López. The Bomba and Plena rhythms of his homeland, along with Cuban, Caribbean and Brazilian traditions, were among the biggest influence on Sanchez's early taste in music. But soon jazz masters such as Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and John Coltrane would command his ear and his imagination. Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson all have been also major influences.

Sánchez's passion for teaching and sharing his art with up and coming musicians is palpable. He articulates, "It gives me such tremendous joy seeing so much talent out there. “It's an honor to be a part of Georgia State University School of Music faculty as the Artist in Residence, as well as being constituent of The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, both institutions provides a solid platform to help students while they strive to find their own voices. I am very optimistic and I look ahead to the future of music.”

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