Diego Sánchez Haase – Resume

Diego Sánchez Haase

Diego Sánchez Haase is a paraguayan Orchestral Conductor, Composer, Pianist and harpsichordist. Current Music director an conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the National Parliament of Paraguay, president of the Bach Society of Paraguay and director of the Paraguayan Institute of Musicology. Considered by critics as the most brilliant, complete and versatile figure of the new generation of Paraguayan musicians.

Two-times winner of the National Music Prize (2003 and 2017), the most important composition award in Paraguay and the “Cluster Prize” of Lucca, Italy. In 1998 he was the unanimous winner of the First Prize in the “Latin American Contest of Orchestral Conducting“, in Argentina.

As orchestral conductor and composer he appeared in Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Panama, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Spain, Italy, USA, Germany. Switzerland, Belgium, France, England, Peru, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Greece, Morocco, New Zealand, Australia, Korea and other countries.

In 2018 he premiered his opera “Pancha y Elisa” with great success, based on a work by the Paraguayan writer Augusto Roa Bastos. The opera is broadcast internationally by the EuroChannel television network

In 2019 he premiered in Europe (Rome, Lucca, Brussels and Paris), his opera in Guarani “Ñomongeta”, which has been acclaimed by the public and critics

Sánchez Haase is Doctor Honoris Causa by the National University of Villarrica, Touristic  Ambassador of Paraguay by the National Secretariat of Tourism, “Master of Art” by the National Congress, and and has been declared Beloved Son of the City of Villarrica.

Diego Sánchez Haase studied in Paraguay, graduating in Piano with “Outstanding with exceptional merits” qualification, and studied Composition and Orchestral Conducting under the direction of the maestros Nicolás Ayala Casco and Florentín Giménez. He specialized in Europe and America, attending courses of Orchestral Conducting, Composition, Piano and Harpsichord, under the baton of great masters, such as Helmuth Rilling, A. Thalheim, M. Benzecry, A. Juliá, G. Deraco and others. At the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart he has specialized in the study of music by J.S. Bach under the direction of Master Helmuth Rilling.

Sociedad Bach del Paraguay

He is founder of the Bach Society of Paraguay and musical director of Bach Collegium de Asunción, a ensemble specialized in the historical interpretation of baroque music, and is the founder and the main promoter of the “South American Bach Circuit“, an institution that brings together the most important South American ensembles dedicated to the music of J.S. Bach.

He has published three books: “Music in Paraguay. History and analysis” (2002), “The work of JS Bach in Paraguayan musical education” (2004), and “Carlos Lara Bareiro, apostle of music and dignity” (2014)

He has received several national and international awards, including the National Prize of Music of Paraguay (2003 and 2017) the “Cluster Prize 2018“, awarded by the Association “Cluster”, performers and composers of the present, from the city of Lucca, Italy, the “Óscar Trinidad Grand Prix“, the “Amigos del Arte” award, the “Young Outstanding” award from Paraguay, among others. He was named a “Beloved Son of the city of Villarrica”, in Paraguay, by the Municipality of the city. He received the title of “Doctor Honoris Causa” by the National University of Villarrica, the diploma of “Master of Art” by the Cultural Center of the Republic, the Gold Medal “José Asunción Flores”, of the Ministry of Education of Paraguay, the “Cabildo Medal” of the National Congress of Paraguay and was named “Touristic Ambassador of Paraguay” by the National Secretariat of Tourism of Paraguay.

 The prestigious news agency EFE described him as “the greatest exponent of the classical music of Paraguay” and as “the most international of Paraguayan orchestral conductors“.