Born in Espinho, Portugal, in 1979, Gaspar Santos commenced his musical studies when he was eight years old, at the Academia de Música de S. Félix da Marinha, Violin Class with Prof. Odete Ramos.
At the age of 11, he entered the Escola Profissional e Artistica do Vale do Ave (ARTAVE), where he concluded the string instrumentist basic course, under Prof. David Lloyd. During this period, he also joined Orquestra ARTAVE, in a tour across the main cities of Brazil.
Later on, Gaspar Santos entered the Conservatório de Música do Porto, to develop his studies with Prof. Radu Ungureanu Benone.
As a member of Orquestra do Norte, Orquestra Filarmónica das Beiras, Orquestra de Câmara de Coimbra, Orquestra Sinfónica da FAP and Orquestra das Raízes Ibéricas, he played with several Maestros, all over the country (Portugal).
Gaspar Santos has also worked, both at a personal level and in master classes, with Suzana Lidegran, Alberto Gaio Lima, André Gousseu, Dona Lee Croft – Royal College of Music, London, Quarteto Brodsky, among others.
As a soloist, he performed with Orquestra ARTAVE, Orquestra do Conservatório de Música do Porto, Orquestra de Câmara de Pedroso, Orquestra de Câmara de Coimbra and Orquestra do Norte.
Participating in several competitions, in 1995 he won the third prize of the Prémio Jovens Músicos, in the class of Violin, in 1996, the first and third prize of the Concurso Interno do Conservatório de Música do Porto, class of Chamber Music and the first prize of the Europaischen Musikfestival Für Die Jugend, Neerpelt.
In September 2004, he joined the Walter Hidalgo Quartet.
In 2006 he appeared at the TeCA and TNSJ with the Maria de Buenos Aires, of Astor Piazzolla.
Gaspar Santos is a founder member of “Duo Soledad”.
He is also a founder member and Principal Violin of the “Quarteto Aquarelle”, class of Chamber Music, ending in August 2004 a four year connection with the school ESMAE;
Student of Radu Ungureanu in ESMAE.
Founding member of the Quarteto Douro e Camerata NovNorte.
Concertmaster of the Fundação Orquestra Estúdio - Guimarães 2012 - European Capital of Culture.
Plays in a violin copy of "Cannon" by Joseph Guarnerius, built by Luthier "Eng Joaquim Domingos Capela - 2000 - em Homenagem a José Francisco dos Santos e Maria Assunção M. F. dos Santos” says the label inside of the violin.
