As an educator and composer of music, Andrew M. Sanchez bridges the gap of American jazz and Western classical music in his compositions to appeal to wider audiences.

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Andrew Sánchez found his passion for composing and conducting at an early age and began to write music ranging from small chamber ensembles to concert band and orchestra. Receiving his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Sánchez has participated in masterclasses with world renowned jazz artists such as Elis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Kenny Garret, Ali Jackson, and Rufus Reid. Sánchez has written, performed, and recorded music with top jazz artists such as JD Allen, Bria Skonberg, Matt Wilson, and Melva Houston, while also writing for notable orchestras and choirs such as The Piedmont Triad Jazz Orchestra, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, and Choral Arts Initiative.

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Sánchez leads "Andrew Sánchez and His Hip Six", a septet incorporating early New Orleans style music with his own original taste. In addition to performing in jazz festivals, The Hip Six tours schools and universities to inform and educate students on the importance of our American music and where it originated.

 

In June 2023, Sánchez was selected to be a Conducting Fellow for the Choral Conducting Institute at University of Missouri - Kansas City where he rehearsed and conducted the renowned Spire Chamber Ensemble directed by Ben A. Spalding. He received one-on-one coaching from Maestro Spalding and Dr. Jennaya Robison, Artistic Director of the National Lutheran Choir. As an in demand vocalist in the Greater Peoria Area, Sánchez has made notable soloist performances such as the Baritone solos in Fauré's Requiem. Sánchez was selected to be a Fellow in the 2024 Cambridge Choral Summer Course where he will sing and learn from great conductors and music directors from Cambridge, UK such as John Rutter.

 

As an Outer Banks native of North Carolina, Sánchez currently resides in Peoria, IL where he serves as the Director of Traditional Music & Worship at First United Methodist Church and the Associate Music Director of the Peoria Area Civic Chorale. As an in demand multi-instrumentalist, Sánchez maintains a thriving studio where he teaches private lessons in piano, trumpet, flute, saxophone, voice, and composition. When not pursuing his musical goals, Sánchez enjoys spending time and traveling with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.