During a recent masterclass at Symphony Hall, cellist Andres Sanchez offered valuable guidance to young musicians, emphasizing to one student, “You have a lot more tools at your disposal than you think.” Among the attendees was 14-year-old Boston native Sarah-Alysse Williams, who performed under Sanchez’s expert critique.
Ian Saunders, artistic director of Project STEP, highlighted Sanchez’s unique perspective, saying, “Andres understands the pathways of a musician of color, as someone who comes from a typically underrepresented group in classical music. The students are always trying to understand, ‘What did it take for you to get there? How did you get there? What did you overcome?'”
Project STEP: Empowering Underrepresented Communities
Established in 1982 by William Moyer, then the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s personnel manager, Project STEP is a college and career development program tailored for classical musicians from underrepresented backgrounds. Josué González, the program’s executive director, explained, “STEP aims to harness and develop talent from Black and Latinx communities, among other underrepresented groups.”
The curriculum serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade and includes private one-on-one lessons, weekly chamber music sessions featuring small ensembles of two to six students, and large ensemble rehearsals modeled after orchestral performances. Collaboration with institutions like the New England Conservatory Preparatory School helps broaden participation.
Monthly masterclasses enhance the learning experience by inviting industry professionals like Sanchez to provide personalized instruction on their instruments.
Andres Sanchez: Musical Roots and Career
A native of Pennsylvania with Honduran and Venezuelan heritage, Sanchez grew up immersed in music, being the son of a professional viola player. “Music has always been a very natural part of my life,” he shared, recounting how, as a toddler, he would stand in his crib watching his mother practice and enthusiastically applaud.
He began playing string instruments at age four, initially on a small viola equipped with an end pin. After a brief hiatus when his mother was expecting his brother, he resumed lessons at eight and a half under cellist Jesus Morales. Sanchez made his Carnegie Hall solo debut at 13 and entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at 16, where he studied for seven years. More recently, from 2020 until spring of the current year, he trained with Paul Katz at the New England Conservatory.
Masterclass and Performance in Boston
This past weekend, a chance meeting in Mexico led Sanchez to return to Boston. While performing at a festival in Oaxaca, he connected with Jotaro Nakano, conductor of the Longwood Symphony Orchestra. As part of a three-year collaboration with Project STEP that began the previous September, the Longwood Symphony invited Sanchez to perform in their concert and conduct a masterclass during his visit.
Three advanced young cellists were selected to play for Sanchez and a small audience comprised of family members, Project STEP supporters, and fellow students. Each performer had a 20-minute session, working through portions of Camille Saint-Saëns’s “Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33,” accompanied by pianist Joy Cline Phinney, a longtime collaborator with Project STEP.
The masterclass was interactive, with Sanchez providing feedback and demonstrations on his own cello. Students incorporated his advice and repeated sections, while encouragement like “good job” and “beautiful!” motivated them throughout. One participant, 11-year-old Sofia Hernández-Williams, frequently paused to absorb Sanchez’s praise.
The final student to perform was 16-year-old Ameerah Manigat, who plans to pursue both cello and pre-medical studies in college. That evening, Manigat, Williams, and six other Project STEP students joined Sanchez and the Longwood Symphony Orchestra at Jordan Hall for a collaborative performance.
Inspiration and Mentorship
Reflecting on the experience, Sanchez remarked, “Visiting younger up-and-coming artists, it’s really gratifying to watch people in real time open their minds to different possibilities. I hope I can be a small inspiration in helping people grow their imagination, personality, and ambition. That’s what I look forward to the most.”
Article by Arushi Jacob. Contact: arushi.jacob@globe.com
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
