Giovanni Santos

From Wind Repertory Project
Giovanni Santos

Biography

Giovanni Santos (b. 27 September 1980, Puerto Rico) is an Hispanic American composer and educator.

Professor Santos is the son of a Cuban father and a Dominican mother. He was raised in Puerto Rico before moving to San Diego, Calif. He is a graduate of La Sierra University (B. Mus) and earned his MM in music education from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where he was also a scholarship trumpet student. Santos had the privilege of studying trumpet with Richard Hofmann, Boyde Hood, and Donald Green. He completed his Ph.D. in music education with an emphasis in instrumental conducting from Florida State University in 2022.

Dr. Santos serves as assistant professor of music and director of wind and percussion studies at La Sierra University, Riverside, Calif., where he directs the university wind ensemble, chamber winds, big band, and teaches courses in instrumental music education, popular music, and conducting. For seven years, Professor Santos had the privilege of leading the band department at Loma Linda Academy, where he led their wind symphony in performances across the United States and Europe.

Santos has conducted successful performances across the United States and Europe. Mostly recently, Santos led performances at Carnegie Hall, the Disney Concert Hall, and the Kennedy Center of the Arts (with the U.S. Naval Academy Band Brass Ensemble).

As a composer, Santos has premiered his works across the United States, Asia and Europe, including a premiere with the United States Naval Academy Band Brass Ensemble at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. under his baton. His works have received performances by ensembles at the University of Michigan, University of Illinois, Florida State University, University of Florida, Ball State University, Oklahoma State University, UCLA, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, Illinois State University among others. His music has also been performed for music education conferences across the United States, the Villa-Lobos Music Festival and for the Tanglewood Music Festival in 2022.

A strong advocate for music education, Santos frequently presents at conferences, school in-service days, classrooms, and as clinician for young ensembles across the U.S. Most recently, Prof. Santos presented at the California All-State Music Education Conference, for the California Music Educators Association’s ‘Casting a Wider in Net' at Azusa Pacific University, the North American Division National Teachers Convention, the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, and for the 2019 SCSBOA Professional Development Conference, and for the College Band Directors National Association National Conference at Arizona State University. Santos has proudly implemented a yearly wind band conducting workshop at La Sierra University.

He has been published by the International Trumpet Guild Journal on two occasions.


Works for Winds

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

  • Giovanni Santos, personal correspondence, May 2019
  • Giovanni Santos website Accessed 20 May 2019
  • The Horizon Leans Forward…, compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 464.
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