Will Sanders is a mentor of the Bundesjugendorchester (National Youth Orchestra of Germany), and has organized the annual festival Alemanha–Brasil on behalf of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). He has participated in international competitions and festivals in the USA, Japan, China, Europe, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. He has taught horn at the Zuyd Hogeschool in Maastricht and at the University of Music Karlsruhe. Teaching classical music, horn, chamber music and conducting have become his passion. His innovative style is not only evident in the development of new playing techniques for the horn, but also in the development of mouthpieces, a new patented rotary valve, and new horn models.
Sanders was born in the Netherlands into a musical family and received his first music lessons from his grandfather and father. He began his horn studies with Hubert Crüts at the Zuyd Hogeschool in Maastricht, continuing with Prof. Erich Penzel. On graduation, he became a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra and assistant principal horn player at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, later principal hornist in the Radio Symphony Orchestra of SWF Baden-Baden, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, abd the Bayreuth Festival. He took over the direction of the horn group and the Siegfried call from Gerd Seifert. He was also a member of various chamber music ensembles such as the Linos Ensemble, the Wind Art Ensemble, and German Brass. Many of his students have earned positions in orchestras or teach as professors at universities worldwide.
Sanders was honored with the Punto Award in 2026.
