Santos is a pianist graduated from the Federal University of Bahia with a specialization in opera at the National Opera of Paris, France. In 2001, he was the first Brazilian and the only pianist in the world selected to participate in the vocal preparation course and repertoire of the Lyrical Training Center of the National Opera of Paris.
Four years later, he won the Bösendorfer award at the Hans-Gabor Belvedere contest in Austria. After 11 years in France as an assistant coach and assistant conductor of operas, he spent three years producing shows in Mexico, and returned to Brazil in 2014, when he took over the Opera Academy of Theatro São Pedro, in São Paulo.