Álvaro Cendoya was born in San Sebastián to a Basque father and Iranian mother. He studied first at his native city's Conservatory (where he met and was taught by Tomás Garbizu) and then at the Madrid Conservatory. He then spent three years in Buenos Aires studying piano with Bruno Gelber, before moving to London to work with Noretta Conci and Peter Feuchtwanger. In 1989 he was awarded the prize for best performance of Spanish music at the Premio Jaén International Piano Competition. In 1995 Cendoya made his début in Geneva's Victorial Hall with that city's symphony orchestra, and a year later made his London début at the Wigmore Hall. More recitals followed, at St Martin-in-the-Fields, St John's, Smith Square, and again at the Wigmore Hall (1998). All of these performances were met with the highest critical acclaim, as have been his many appearances across South America and Europe. For the last three years Cendoya has visited Iran on an annual basis to give recitals and master classes. Under the auspices of the Cervantes Institute, he gave premières of works by César Cano and Tomás Garbizu at the University of Connecticut in November 1999, and appeared at the American University of Beirut in May 2000. In December 2001 he performed at the Shanghai and Beijing Conservatories. Cendoya currently teaches in the piano department of the Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco.

Discography