Antonio Sánchez / Antonio Sanchez

Born in Mexico City on November 1, 1971, Antonio Sanchéz started playing drums at the age of five and began performing professionally early in his teens. He pursued a degree in classical piano at the National Conservatory in Mexico and in 1993 he moved to Boston to enroll at Berklee College of Music and graduated magna cum laude in jazz studies. Since his move to New York City in 1999, Sanchéz has become one of the most sought-after drummers on the international jazz scene. He has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in jazz, most prominently in the Pat Metheny trio alongside Christian McBride; the guitarist's larger group; and the reunion band with Metheny, Steve Swallow, and Gary Burton. Other leaders he has worked with include Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden, Toots Thielemans, and Joshua Redman. His interest in education led Sanchéz to join the faculty at New York University in 2006. In addition to performing and teaching, he has conducted clinics and master classes, and played at drum festivals worldwide, including the Modern Drummer Festival Weekend, Zildjian Day, and Montreal Drum Festival. Sanchéz has been a featured cover artist on magazines like Modern Drummer, Musico Pro, Percussioni, and Drums & Percussion. In 2007 his first recording as a leader, Migration, was issued, followed a year later by Element. The concert album Live in New York at Jazz Standard appeared in 2010. In 2013 Sanchez released his third studio album, New Life, featuring saxophonists David Binney and Donny McCaslin. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi