Javier Sánchez Castillo

Proud of the region he grew up in, Jaén in Andalusia – known for its olive oil, ‘the best!’ –, but even prouder of being a Fellow with the Netherlands Bach Society, Javier says, “It’s my dream to play in this ensemble. I’ve got a Bach Society playlist.” Javier knows the Bach Society through All of Bach. “I’ve been following All of Bach for a long time, right from the start ten years ago. At the time, I was already listening to Baroque music a lot. I came across All of Bach and thought: wow, what an incredible channel – dedicated only to Bach, with wonderful music and good recordings, and you see the musicians playing. Really unique.” Two years ago, it was still too soon to audition for the Fellowship, as Javier had only just started Baroque bassoon, after getting his Bachelor’s degree in Classical Bassoon. Two years on, armed with plenty of experience, he took the gamble – and succeeded. So now he can make his dream come true.

Over two seasons, the Fellows will perform in several concert series by the Netherlands Bach Society. This season, Javier will be appearing in Reflect with Bach on 7 December, Bach at his finest and the St Matthew Passion.