Joshua Dos Santos
conductor
About this Artist
Known as one of the most experienced young conductors of the National System of Youth Orchestras of Venezuela, JOSHUA DOS SANTOS was born in Caracas in 1985, and took his first musical steps in the University of Carabobo's "Centro de Estudios Musicales Gustavo Celis Sauné", under the tutelage of Alba Pérez Matos, Marieva Laguna and Nieves de Acosta. In 1995 he was admitted to the Carabobo Music Conservatoire where he studied Violoncello and piano studies with Tiziana Vieira, Carmen Rosa Rodríguez and Marta Infante.
At age eleven, he was selected to be a member of the National Children's Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, with which he toured through Europe and Ibero América. He then moved back to Caracas and joined the Latin American Cello Academy under the tutelage of Maestro William Molina.
He began conducting at age 15, and is a conducting protégé of Maestro José Antonio Abreu. His work with countless youth and childrens symphony orchestras across Venezuela continues, whilst participating in conducting courses offered by FESNOJIV with Mario Benzecry, Sung Kwak, Eduardo Marturet and Gustavo Dudamel.
In the year 2001 he was appointed Musical Director of the Vargas Youth Orchestra, and the following year he returned to Valencia to conduct the newly formed Youth Symphony Orchestra of Carabobo, with which he performed for a number of social and educational programs. The ensemble went on to tour in France, where he gained accolades for his interpretation of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, and Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony.
He has received numerous awards, including in 2007 "Young Person of the Year" from the People and Events section of the Newspaper "El Carabobeño", in 2008 he received the Municipal recognition of the Naguanagua Council, for his ample social work alongside the National System of Youth and Children Symphony Orchestras of Venezuela in the Province of Carabobo.
Joshua currently lives in Caracas and is a regular guest conductor with the country's principal symphony orchestras, including the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.