ABEL SÁNCHEZ-AGUILERA Pianist

Acclaimed for his “sophisticated handling of the sound” and“stupendous virtuosity”, Abel Sánchez-Aguilera has appeared asa soloist in ten countries (Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Italy,Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia, United States and Brazil). He has beenheard, among others, on the stages of Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris),Mozarteum (Salzburg), Gasteig (Munich), Neue Schloss(Stuttgart), Scriabin Memorial Museum (Moscow), SheremetevPalace (St. Petersburg), Bulgaria Hall (Sofia) and Steinert Hall(Boston), and in festivals such as Musikfest Stuttgart (2014, 2016),TransArt 2017, Musique au Palais (2016-17), Festival Romantiquede Buc (2013-14) and “Les Amateurs virtuoses!” (2009-15). Hehas performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no.3 with the New Philarmonia Orchestra(Massachusetts, USA, 2012) and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto (Padua, Italy, 2016).

Born in Madrid, Abel Sánchez-Aguilera obtained his Higher Piano Diploma from the RoyalConservatory of Music in his native city under the guidance of Fernando Puchol and JuanCarlos Martínez. Subsequently he has continued his studies with Ya-Fei Chuang, both at theNew England Conservatory in Boston and at the Salzburg Mozarteum InternationaleSommerakademie, which he has attended for six consecutive years. He has also receivedartistic advice from Robert Levin, Luiz de Moura Castro, Ilze Graubin and Marisa Montiel.

A laureate of several international competitions, Abel Sánchez-Aguilera has been especiallyrecognized for his advocacy of the modern and contemporary piano repertoire. He wasawarded First Prize in the “Alexander Skrjabin” competition (Salzburg, 2015), First Prize andbest contemporary interpretation award in the Open Piano Competition (2013), the Prize ofthe Mozarteum Sommerakademie (2013), First Prize “Musik der Extraklasse” (Salzburg,2011), First Prize and audience award in the Boston International Piano Competition(2011), Third Prize (solo category) and Fourth Prize (concerto category) in the competition“Premio Città di Padova” (2016), among others.

In commemoration of the centenary of the composer’s death in 2015, Abel Sánchez-Aguileraperformed Alexander Scriabin’s complete piano sonatas at Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), as wellas the rarely heard sonata “to the memory of Scriabin” by Leonid Sabaneev. He has given thepremieres of the works Brevedades by C. M. González-Portela (1999) and his owncompositions Morella (2016) and Scriabiniana (2012). He is a member of the editorial team ofthe Sorabji Archive (UK), for which he has prepared first critical editions of two of Sorabji’smajor works (Tāntrik Symphony for piano alone and Piano Symphony no.3), and is a coauthorof the new edition of Opus Clavicembalisticum (in preparation).

Parallel to his musical activity, Abel Sanchez-Aguilera has contributed to an unrelated field –that of biomedicine. He has a PhD degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and between2000 and 2016 he performed research on leukemia and lymphoma in Spain and the UnitedStates. His scientific work, represented by 28 articles and book chapters, led to the discoveryof a potential application of the drug tamoxifen for the treatment of some blood cancers.

“…sophisticated handling of the sound, such knowledge of the style, not getting lost inimpressionistic sonorities but highlighting the structural thought. And besides a stupendousvirtuosity.” (DrehPunktKultur, Salzburg, 2013)

“[Scriabin’s] Fourth sonata (…) and the fantastic poem Vers la flamme, one of his last pieces,were skillfully defended by Abel Sanchez-Aguilera, who underlined with subtlety their mixtureof sounds and colours.” (Classic Toulouse, 2016)

ABEL SÁNCHEZ-AGUILERA Pianist

Website (in English) https://abelsanchezaguilera.wordpress.com https://www.facebook.com/abelsanchezaguilera

Website (in Spanish) https://abelsanchezaguileraes.wordpress.comhttps://www.facebook.com/sanchezaguileraabel

Education

2010-2015 Mozarteum Internationale SommerakademieUniversität Mozarteum (Salzburg, Austria)Masterclass of Ya-Fei Chuang

2009-2011 Piano Interpretation and Performance SeminarNew England Conservatory of Music (Boston, USA)Class of Ya-Fei Chuang

2006 Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversidad Complutense (Madrid, Spain)

2000 Bachelor of Science, BiochemistryUniversidad Complutense (Madrid, Spain)

1999 Higher Diploma in Piano, "Profesor Superior" (*)Real Conservatorio Superior de Música (Madrid, Spain)Class of Fernando Puchol(*) 10-year degree in Music, equivalent to a Bachelor degree

Masterclasses Ya-Fei Chuang, Robert Levin, Luiz de Moura Castro,Ilze Graubin, Fernando Puchol, Marisa Montiel.

Languages Spanish (native), English (C2), French, Italian, German (rudimentary)

Awards and Honours

2016 Third Prize (overall) and First Prize (piano category)International competition “Premio Città di Padova” (Padua, Italy)

2016 Fourth PrizeInternational competition “Premio Città di Padova” for soloists and orchestra (Padua, Italy)

2015 First PrizePiano competition "Alexander Skrjabin" (Salzburg, Austria)

2013 First Prize and best performance of a contemporary workOpen Piano Competition (Torino, Italy)

2013 Prize of the Mozarteum Sommerakademie (Salzburg, Austria)

2011 First PrizePiano competition “Musik der Extraklasse” (Salzburg, Austria)

2011 First Prize and Audience AwardBoston International Piano Competition (Boston, EEUU)

2009 Second Prize and best performance of a modern workBoston International Piano Competition (Boston, EEUU)

Recitals

Solo recitals in Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia, the UnitedStates and Brazil.

Performance of Scriabin’s complete piano sonatas at Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris, 2015).

Three performances of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no.3 with the New PhilarmoniaOrchestra (Newton,MA,2012) and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto (Padua, 2016).

World premiere of several works, such as Brevedades by C. M. González-Portela(1999) and the original compositions Morella (2016) and Scriabiniana (2012).

Past recitals (selected)

2017 Conservatorio “Cesare Pollini” (Padua) - Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto no.3Maison de l’Asie du Sud-Est (Paris)Ateneo Theatre (Madrid)“Bulgaria” Chamber Hall (Sofia)

2016 Neue Schloss Stuttgart (Musikfest Stuttgart)Palais Niel (Toulouse)Salle André Ravache (Le Pouliguen, Francia)Centro Cultural Galileo (Madrid)

2015 Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris) - Scriabin, the complete piano sonatasPalais Niel (Toulouse)Mozarteum Grosses Studio (Salzburg)Gasteig (Munich)

2014 Neue Schloss Stuttgart (Musikfest Stuttgart)Alexander Scriabin Memorial Museum (Moscow)Festival Romantique de Buc (Buc, France)Music School no. 20 (Sestrorezk, Russia)

2013 Festival Romantique de Buc (Buc, Francia)

2012 New Philarmonia Orchestra (Newton, MA) - Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto no.3Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris)Steinert Hall (Boston)Sheremetev Palace (St. Petersburg)

2011 Institut Français (Budapest)

2010 Mozarteum Kleines Studio (Salzburg) - Boulez, sonata no.2Conservatoire de Nice (France)

2009 Steinert Hall (Boston) - Chopin, the complete etudes (op.10 and op.25)Fort de Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro)

Publications

Sorabji, Kaikhosru Shapurji. Tāntrik Symphony for Piano alone. First edition. Abel Sánchez-Aguilera, editor. Hereford, England: The Sorabji Archive; 2015. 447 p. (score) + 41 p. (criticalcommentary).

Sorabji, Kaikhosru Shapurji. Third Symphony for Piano solo. First edition. Abel Sánchez-Aguilera, editor. Hereford, England: The Sorabji Archive; 2016. 197 p. (score) + 24 p. (criticalcommentary).

Repertoire

(The following list is by no means exhaustive. Generally I will be able to perform most pianoconcertos in the standard repertoire with 2-3 months’ notice, but this time can be substantiallyshorter depending on the work in question. For most chamber works and song cycles,between a few days and two weeks notice will usually suffice).

Isaac ALBENIZIberia (books I y IV)

Johann Sebastian BACHThe Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I15 Two-Part InventionsConcerto ItalianoThe Art of the Fugue, Contrapunctus 1-4, 9

Ludwig van BEETHOVENSonata op.2 no.3Sonata op.10 no.2Sonata op.13Sonata op.27 no.2Sonata op.31 no.2Sonata op.49 no.2Sonata op.53Sonata op.78Sonata op.90Sonata op.110Piano Concerto no.1 in C major, Op.15Piano Concerto no.3 in C minor, Op.37

Alban BERGKlavierstück in C minorVariations on an original theme in C majorSonata, op.1

Pierre BOULEZSonata no.2

Johannes BRAHMSVariations on a theme by Paganini, Op.35 Piano pieces, Op.76 (nos.1 ,2, 5, 8)Piano Concerto no.2 in B flat major, Op.83

Ferrucio BUSONISonatina brevis

Fryderyk CHOPINTHE COMPLETE ETUDES(op.10, op.25, Trois Nouvelles Etudes)Nocturne, op.9 no.1Ballade no.1, op.232 Nocturnes, op.2724 Preludes, op.28Impromptu no.2, op.36Waltz, op.64 no.2Sonata no.2, op.35Nocturne, op.37 no.1Nocturne, op.55 no.2Fantaisie-Impromptu, op. posth. 662 Waltzes, op. posth. 69Waltzes, op. posth. 70, nos.2-3Piano Concerto no.1, Op.11

Claude DEBUSSYSelected Preludes from Book IL’isle joyeuseReflets dans l’eau (from Images, I)

Edison DENISOVRefletsPour Daniel

Manuel de FALLAFantasia BaeticaRitual Dance of Fire (from "El Amor Brujo")

Ivan FEDELEEtudes Australes, nos.3 and 5

Samuil FEINBERGSonata no.6, op.13

Franz LISZTIsoldes LiebestodMosonyis Grabgeleit

Alexander MOSOLOVSonata no.1, op.32 Nocturnes, op.15

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZARTSonata in B flat major, K.281Sonata in D major, K.284Sonata in A major, K.331Rondo in D major, K.485Piano Concerto in B flat, K.450Piano Concerto in D minor, K.466

Tristan MURAILLa mandragoreCloches d'adieu, et un sourire

Nikolai OBUKHOVRévélation

Sergei RACHMANINOFFEtudes Tableaux, op.33, nos.5-6Etudes Tableaux, op.39, nos.1, 5 and 9Piano Concerto no.2, Op.18Piano Concerto no.3, Op.30Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini, Op.43

Maurice RAVELGaspard de la nuitNoctuelles, Alborada del gracioso, Vallée des cloches (from "Miroirs")Sonatine

Nikolai ROSLAVETS5 Preludes (1919-1922)

Friedrich Wilhelm RUSTSonata in F sharp minor

Leonid SABANEEVSonata op.15 ("To the memory of Scriabin")Selected short compositions

Domenico SCARLATTISonatas (K.3, 24, 27, 96, 141, 159, 175)

Arnold SCHOENBERG3 Klavierstücke, op.116 kleine Klavierstücke, op.19Klavierstuck, op.33a

Robert SCHUMANNPapillons, op.2Carnaval, op.9Fantasy in C major, op.17Faschingsschwank aus Wien, op.26Album für die Jugend, op.68 (selection)

Alexander SCRIABINTHE COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS Etude, op.2 no.1Etude, op.8 no.12Prelude for the left hand, op.9 no.1Fantasy, op.28Poème, op.59 no.1Vers la flamme, op.72Deux danses, op.735 Preludes, op.74

Kaikhosru SORABJIToccata Seconda

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKYPiano Concerto no.1 in B flat minor, Op.23

Heitor VILLA-LOBOSHommage à Chopin

Anton WEBERNVariationen für Klavier, op.27Concerto for 9 instruments, op.24

Isang YUNInterludium A

Biomedical research

In parallel to my music career, during the years 2000-2016 I carried out an intense researchactivity in the field of biomedicine, focused on blood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma) andblood cell formation. Among other contributions, this work led to the discovery of a possibleuse of tamoxifen (a common drug in oncology) for the treatment of some blood cancers, andto the identification of new prognostic markers for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Research positions

2011-2016 Senior Postdoctoral Scientist, "Ramón y Cajal" InvestigatorCentro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) (Madrid)

2008-2011 Research Fellow (Hematology/Oncology)Children’s Hospital Boston / Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA)

2006-2008 Research Fellow (Experimental Hematology)Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Cincinnati, USA)

2000-2006 Graduate studentSpanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) (Madrid, Spain)

Awards and Honours

2013 Travel Award, 18th Congress of the European Hematology Association

2011 Marie Curie Integration Grant (CIG), Research Executive Agency

2011 "Ramón y Cajal" Senior Postdoctoral GrantMinistry of Science and Innovation, Spain

2011 Research Fellowship, European Hematology Association (EHA)

2011 Financial support from "Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer"(declined due to incompatibility)

2005 Best scientific presentation, Gene Signatures Symposium, Madrid

2002 XIII Complutense Award, Universidad Complutense, Madrid

2001 Predoctoral Fellowship, Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid

2001 National Graduation Award, Spanish Ministry of Education

2001 Extraordinary Award, Universidad Complutense, Madrid

Publications and conference presentations

26 research articles2 book chapters1 patent application (on the use of tamoxifen for the treatment of myeloproliferative diseases)14 conference presentations (oral communications)1 invited lecture (Scott Murphy Memorial Lecture, BEST Collaborative Meeting, 2014).

A complete scientific CV is available upon request.