Oleksandr Gunchenko

Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Oleksandr (Sasha) graduated from the Lysenko School of Music and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Sasha became a National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra member aged nineteen and secured a position with the National Chamber Orchestra of Ukraine a year later.

In 1999, Sasha immigrated to New Zealand and joined the Christchurch Symphony as Associate Principal Double Bass. He completed a Bachelor of Music degree (first class honours) at the University of Canterbury, studying with Dale Gold and Edith Zaltzman. He also served as Principal Double Bass section in the National Youth Orchestra.

Sasha joined the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as a section Double Bass player in 2007.

One of my most memorable moments came at the end of the last concert of a long tour with the Modern Maori Quartet. The quartet turned to the orchestra and performed a haka to show their appreciation to the NZSO. It was one of the most powerful experiences on stage for me.

He has participated in masterclasses with Paul Ellison, Thomas Martin, Joel Quarrington, Catalin Rotaru, Miloslav Gojdos, Ekkahard Beringer, Hans Roelofsen, Eric Hansen, and Barry Green. In 2011, he was invited to study with Jeff Bradetich at the Pirastro Strings Elite Soloists Masterclasses.

In addition to his work with the NZSO, Sasha is a member of the contemporary ensemble Stroma and regularly performs solo recitals.

As I travel around New Zealand, from Invercargill to Kerikeri, a lot of it feels like your backyard - pretty much everywhere! But as they say, Wellington is the 'coolest little capital of the world' and I'm very grateful to call this vibrant city my home.