Unai Sánchez (2001), studied between Bilbao, Madrid and San Sebastián with Prof. María Casado, Prof. Asier Polo and Prof. Pavel Gomziakov. He is currently studying for a master’s degree at the HfMDK Frankfurt under the direction of Prof. Jan Ickert, while expanding his knowledge of baroque music with Prof. Kristin von der Goltz and contemporary music with Prof. Lucas Fels.
As a chamber musician, he has trained with Prof. Sciammarella, Prof. Mercero, Prof. Bossier and Prof. Staemmler, and is currently studying in Prof. Merkle’s class.
In 2023 he was selected as a scholarship holder of the Deutschlandstipendium (sponsored by the ‘Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation’) and in 2024 by the ‘arteMusica Foundation to continue his studies. In addition, the Rotary Club Offenbach-Dreieich has decided to support Unai as a young artist in the Hesse region. In 2024, he won the scholarship of the ‘Diputación Foral de Bizkaia’ for the academic year 24-25. In 2024 he also was selected together with Trio Unison as an artist for the Yehudi Menuhin Live Musik Now programme.
Throughout his musical career, Unai has participated in numerous masterclasses with internationally renowned cellists such as J.Schwab, A. Karttunen, R. Pidoux, E. van Pocke, X. Gagnepain, R. Lester or M. Mostert… among others, and his talent has been recognised through various awards such as the Honourable Mention at the ‘Young Musicians of the Basque Country’ competition, the Grand Prize-Exaequo at the ‘Festival4Arts International String Competition’ or the 2nd Prize at the ‘International Mozart Competition Vienna’.
With the chamber music project ‘Dúo Arriaga’, he was a finalist at the ‘II Concurso Internacional Ciutat de Manises’ and the “International Competition Antón García Abril 2024”.He has also performed as a soloist with various orchestras and has taken part in various festivals around Europe playing solo, duo or chamber music recitals.
Unai has a strong pedagogical vocation and currently teaches at the Frankfurter Klavierschule and to private students. He is also concerned about supporting different social causes and works with organisations that bring music to marginalised communities and with the association ‘ESAS’.
Unai plays a beautiful Peter Wamsley cello (London, 1750), generously lent by the firm «Florian Leonhard Fine Violins» and a Thomas Acker bow on loan from a private individual.
UNAI SÁNCHEZ 