Álex Filipe Santos

Álex in the Bahá'í Gardens, Haifa, Israel (2019)

My Music

I am completely passionate about classical music and have so far dedicated 18 years of my life to creating and performing great music in the violin and piano.

I also had the opportunity to explore my conducting side during my first performance with the Amherst Symphony Orchestra in March 2020.

This page is dedicated to one of the few things without which I would definitely never be able to live.

I'm so thankful for the unparalleled opportunities I have had in music and the amazing teachers and mentors with whom I was able to cross paths.

Check out some of the music I've been doing below!

Conducting

Watch my conducting première with the Amherst Symphony Orchestra below, performing the Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54, with soloist Faith Wen.

Holding a baton with music on backgroundBrahms excerpt - Haydn Variations

In 2018, I decided to take on one of the greatest dreams of my life — learning how to conduct a full orchestra.

This dream came true as I dedicated myself to have my first conducting performance with the Amherst Symphony Orchestra in Spring 2020. This was a unique closing moment for my senior year at Amherst.

I am incredibly honored to have been under the mentoring of Mr. Mark Swanson, Director & Conductor of the Amherst Symphony Orchestra with an extraordinary background. His teaching has shown me the impossibility of ceasing to learn more about music, and this is a great excuse to keep myself excited about it!

I look forward to seeing what is in store for conducting and I am certain that the knowledge and musicianship that I have been acquiring will last for all my years to come.

Piano

At the pianoPlaying piano at chamber ensemble

In 2015, with almost no previous experience, I decided to undertake the challenge of learning the piano. I embraced a serious schedule and started dedicating myself fully to piano practice as opposed to strict violin practice.

I am very lucky to have found one of the best teachers I have ever had in life, Mrs. Chonghyo Shin. Her mentoring enabled me to perfect my piano technique in a way I never imagined I would achieve in just 4 years.

These years, I was able to explore a wide range of classical music styles; in total, I have learned works by 10 different composers, 20+ piano pieces, and performed in 5 piano recitals — not to mention some thousands of practice hours.

I performed my Senior Piano Recital in March 2020, which was be a special closing moment for me at Amherst College. Watch the recordings below!

Recordings

  • Schumann: Waldszenen, IX. Abschied
    Spring 2019

  • Beethoven: Sonata No. 9 in E major
    Spring 2020

  • Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte
    Fall 2019

  • Beethoven: Sonata No. 1, I. Allegro
    Spring 2018

  • Shostakovich: Three Fantastic Dances
    Spring 2020

  • Bach: Italian Concerto in F major
    Fall 2019

Piano Repertoire

  • Bach: Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971
  • Bach: Inventions Nos. 1-4 and 13, BWV 772-775, 784
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14, No. 1
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49, No. 1
  • Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. posth.
  • Debussy: Rêverie, L. 76
  • Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte, Book 2, Op. 30
  • Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 5 in G major, K. 283
  • Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, K. 545
  • Schumann: Waldszenen, Op. 82, IX. Abschied
  • Shostakovich: Three Fantastic Dances, Op. 5

Violin

Playing the violin, sepia coloringPlaying the violin at the Amherst SymphonyPlaying violin as a 5 year old

The violin has always had a special place in my heart - I started learning the violin at age 3 and have never stopped practicing.

I'm currently a violinist at the Amherst Symphony Orchestra at Amherst College, starting in 2015. Our programs usually include about 5 concerts per year.

In 2011, I joined music school at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Natal, Brazil, under the amazing teaching of Prof. Ronedilk Dantas; this experience was the most formative for me in terms of developing a more solid violin technique.

My experience in ensemble performance started at the Genesis Evangelical Philharmonic Orchestra, at my previous church in Natal, at age 10.

At Amherst, I usually participate in about 2 chamber music performances per semester; mostly supporting the work of fellow composition students.