by Michael G. Nastos
Born in Mexico City on November 1st, 1971, Antonio Sanchez 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, Sanchez 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 with the Pat Metheny trio alongside Christian McBride, the guitarist's larger group, and in 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, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Danilo Perez, David Sanchez, Paquito D'Rivera, Kenny Werner, Marcus Roberts, Avishai Cohen, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Miguel Zenon, Scott Colley, Dave Samuels, Luciana Souza, Billy Childs, and Claudia Acua. His interest in education has led Sanchez to join the faculty at New York University in 2006. In addition to performing and teaching, he has conducted clinics, master classes, and played at drum festivals worldwide, including the Modern Drummer Festival Weekend, Zildjian Day, and the Montreal Drum Festival. Sanchez has been the 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.