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João Santos holds a degree in Sacred Music from the School of Arts of the Portuguese Catholic University – Porto, where he studied with Luca Antoniotti (Organ), Eugénio Amorim (Composition and Choral Conducting), Cesário Costa (Orchestral Conducting), Anselm Hartmann (Piano), among others.
He has distinguished himself in the fields of Organ and Composition, both in Portugal and abroad, working with renowned organists such as T. Jellema, W. Zerer, M. Bouvard, J. Janssen, F. Espinasse, O. Latry, D. Roth, and L. Scandali.
He has taken part in prestigious international organ competitions and performs regularly in recital throughout Europe. Notable appearances include Westminster Cathedral (London), the Orgelfestival Ruhr (Germany), Notre-Dame Cathedral (Paris), and the St. Christoph Summer Festival (Vilnius). In 2014 he was soloist with the Madeira Classical Orchestra at the Madeira International Organ Festival, and he has collaborated with several leading Portuguese orchestras.
As a composer, his works have gained international recognition, with several published. His transcription for six organs of the Allegretto from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony was awarded First Prize at the “Órgãos de Mafra” International Composition Competition (2017). Two years later, he won again in Category A with his original work Magnificat for six organs. He has since received numerous commissions, both for liturgical use and for festivals and institutions.
Since 2020, João Santos has been developing pioneering research on the harmonium in Portugal, with particular focus on the Harmonium d’Art. In 2023, he founded fort’Expressivo – music atelier, aimed at reviving this instrument in Portugal. The collection already includes two rare instruments by the historic firm V. Mustel: the iconic Orgue-Célesta (1898) and an Orgue Expressif (1899). Highlights of this project include his article on Mustel in Portugal, published in the Boletim Cultural do Município de Mafra (2025), and several transcriptions for art harmonium — among them, an adaptation of Mahler’s celebrated Adagietto from the 5th Symphony for Orgue-Célesta, which received enthusiastic international acclaim and was recorded by Jan Hennig, one of today’s foremost specialists of the instrument.
From 2010 to 2018 he was titular organist of the Sanctuary of Fátima. Since 2018, he has been part of the resident team performing on the six organs of the Basilica at the National Palace of Mafra. He is also the founder and conductor of the Carlos Seixas Choir (Coimbra) and has been titular organist of Leiria Cathedral since 2007.

2020, selected work – Call Nuova Musica Corale per la Liturgia SIMC2020
2019, 1st prize, International Competition Award for the six historic organs of Mafra, Category A
2019, Finalist, Japan Internation Choral Composition Competition
2019, Honorable mention, 1st Composition Award “Pedro de Araujo”, Braga
2017, 1st prize, International Competition Award for the six historic organs of Mafra, Category B
2014, Finalist, Musica Ficta Internacional Competition for Choral Composition, Italy
2010, Finalist, Simon Carrington Chamber Singers Composition Competition, USA
2010, Semi final, Paul Hofhaimer Organ Competition, Austria
2009, Semi final, Silbermann Organ Competition, Germany
2007, 2nd prize, Concurso Nacional de Órgão do IGL, Portugal
2007, 1st round, International Schnitger Organ Competition, The Netherlands
2004, 1st prize (young composers), Composition Award “Maestro Silva Dionísio”, Portugal (Inatel)
2002, 3th prize, Composition Award from the “Associação de Coros da Área de Lisboa”, Portugal

[Most relevant]

2026, Acordes de Lua e Mar, for choir and wind ensemble
2025, Cantus Misericordiae, for iberian organ | (preview)
2024, As Quatro Estações de Oldovino, pfor four historic organs | (premiere)
2024, Até as Pedras Precisam de Raízes, mini-ópera, “Ópera na Prisão” project
2022, Intimidade, for soprano and wind ensemble
2022, Se o amor quiser voltar, song for soprano, tenor and theorba
2021, Diptyque Mariale, for vocal ensemble and organ
2020, Quadros Pedagógicos para uma Escola, for different pedagogic groups
2020, Verso, for vocal ensemble and organ | ava202141 | (premiere)
2019, Magnificat, for six organs | (premiere)
2019, Nativity Poem, for concert band
2019, Interchange Suite, for wind trio (fl, ob, sax)
2019, Regina Caeli, for TTBB and organ
2018, Magnificat VII toni, for vocal ensemble a cappella | ava181856
2017, Allegretto, L. v. Beethoven (transcriptions for six organs) | (premiere)
2011, Jesu Dulcis Memoria, for vocal ensemble a cappella | Edition Ferrimontana 3882
2011, Triptych, for vocal ensemble a cappella | Edition Ferrimontana 3883
2002, Alli Lejos, for mixed choir | Cancioneiro Antológico II, ACAL (2008)

[Most relevant]

2023, JMJ Lisbon, psalm Povo do Senhor (M. Luís), for symphonic orchestra | opening mass
2023, Nós somos as pedras vivas (F. Santos), arrangement | Salicus 14
2023, Somos a Igreja de Cristo (M. Faria), arrangement | Salicus 14
2022, Nós vimos a sua estrela (F. Santos), arrangement | Salicus 12
2022, Virão adorar-vos, Senhor (M. Luís), arrangement | Salicus 12
2021, Missa dos Arcanjos | Salicus 11
2021, Na fria lapinha (F. Silva), arrangement | Salicus 10
2021, Nasceu-nos um Salvador (M. Silva), arrangement | Salicus 10
2020, Maria, fonte da esperança (M. Luís), arrangement | Salicus 9
2020, Tomai e recebei (H. Faria), arrangement | Salicus 8
2019, Eu sou o pão da vida (B. Sousa), arrangement | Salicus 7
2018, Recebemos do Senhor (M. Luís), arrangement | Salicus 5
2018, Formamos um só corpo (C. Silva), arrangement | Salicus 4
2018, O Senhor vos abençoe (M. Luís), arrangement | Libellus 7
2016, Ditosa Virgem sois vós, Maria | Libellus 6
2015, Eis a escrava do Senhor (C. Silva), arrangement | Libellus 4
2015, Eu sou a verdadeira vide (C. Silva), arrangement | Libellus 3
2014, Cantemos à porfia (C. Silva), arrangement | Libellus 2
2014, Bebei, se tendes sede (C. Silva), arrangement | Libellus 1