Trester Festival for Latin American Music – Lecture Recital: “The Argentine Folk Influence in the Music of Alberto Ginastera” Dr. Luis Sanchez

For over three decades, pianist Luis Sanchez has maintained an active career as soloist, collaborative artist, and teacher. He has appeared in concerts in the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia. He is currently Professor of Piano and Director of Keyboard Studies at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Dr. Sanchez joined the Steinway Artist Roster in 2012. In May 2021, he joined the Frances Clark Center for Piano Pedagogy as Director of International Initiatives.

Praised for his artistry, dazzling technique, and inspiring performances, Luis Sanchez has presented recitals and master classes at Steinway Hall in London, Birmingham Conservatoire (UK), Sala delle Muse at the Teatro Petruzzelli (Bari, Italy), Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agnone (Rome, Italy), National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan), the Grieg Academy (Bergen, Norway), the Norwegian Academy of Music (Oslo, Norway), Hangyang University (Seoul, South Korea), the Piano Concert Series International (Louisiana), and throughout the United States. He has also been featured soloist with the Orchestra of New Spain (Dallas), The Texarkana Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ball State Symphony Orchestra, and the Texas A&M University-Commerce Wind Ensemble.

Luis Sanchez enjoys a successful teaching career. Current and former students have been recipient of prizes at national and state competitions including the Texas Music Teachers Association Performance Contest, the National Young Musicians Showcase Competition, the Muncie Symphony Junior Concerto Competition, the Tuesday Musical Club Young Artist Competition in San Antonio, The UT Arlington Competition Festival, among others. Additionally, his students have been accepted at numerous summer programs including Piano Texas, Chautauqua Piano Program, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, International Masterclasses and Festival in Moulin d’Ande (France). He thoroughly enjoys teaching a diverse group of students from different corners of the United States as well as from Venezuela, Colombia, China, Bulgaria, Russia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Colombia, and South Korea. Since 2014, he has frequently joined the faculty of InterHarmony International Music Festival in Germany and Italy.

He has been a frequent presenter at the Texas Music Teachers Association Convention, Music Teachers National Association, the Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society Conclaves, the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, and national and regional College Music Society conferences. Dr. Sanchez has served as an adjudicator for numerous competitions and festivals, throughout the United States and internationally.

Equally at home with the fortepiano and the modern piano, Dr. Sanchez pursued further studies in fortepiano and XVIII century performance practice with Malcolm Bilson, Andrew Willis, and Liv Glaser (Oslo, Norway).  In 2012, he was commissioned to write an article on Phil Belt (American builder of fortepianos) for the New Grove Dictionary of American Music and Early Music America.

Born in Argentina, Dr. Sanchez holds degrees from the National Conservatory of Music “Carlos López Buchardo” and Ball State University.  His teachers include Ana Litovsky-Grunwald, Graciela Beretervide, Robert Palmer, and Rebecca Penneys.