Born in Caracas, Venezuela, 1971. After many years of lessons on Composition and Choral Conducting with renowned educators on three continents, he obtained his Master in Music in Jazz composition at CODARTS, The Netherlands.
He had conducted some of the most audacious choral projects of Venezuela at its time: Eduardo Plaza Aurrecoechea Chamber Choir (3rd Overall Prize, National Choir Competition 1998), Diseño Vocal FAU UCV Choir, Sies Seis (Bronze Diploma, Vokal.Total Graz, 2007) and Vocalia (digital EP Soñando a Venezuela nominated for Best South American Recording, CARAwards 2013). Also founded and leaded Caffeine (the vocal jazz group) in Rotterdam. He is currently working as a freelance composer, choir conductor in different choirs and cities across the Netherlands. He has also being guest conductor of the belgian Vocaal Ensemble Reflection in Antwerp within the Meet The Conductor event in April 2023.
As a composer and arranger, Santaella has been already recognised as one of the most important Venezuelan composers on choral music. For his outstanding work he has received different awards and recognitions in Venezuela (Several national composition competitions between 1996 and 2010), the Netherlands (2de plaats, Grote Arrangeerwedstrijd, Ricciotti Ensemble 2015, with Laudatio for Extended Jazz Orchestra) and Japan (Honorary Mention, Japan International Choral Competition 2021, with Deus Caritas Est for SATB a cappella choir). In the Netherlands he has been also recipient of commissions from the Pedagogical joint program of CODARTS/Ricciotti Ensemble (2016 with TruncoTranco for Street Orchestra), AKOM ensemble for Woordnacht Festival (2018, with Jazz Indigo for quintet and reciter) and the Beroepsvereniging van Improviserende Musici-50 Jaar compositieopdracht project (2021-2022 with Across for Jazz quintet).
His recorded works included digital releases for Vocalia (Soñando a Venezuela, 2013) Sies Seis (Güaréver, 2007-2018) and Caffeine (On Xmas, 2016, his first solo album (Miguel, 2020) and the first live concert recording with his Jazz Ensemble (Across, 2023)
International Japan Choral Composition Competition 2021, Honorary Mention, with Deus Caritas Est.
• Ricciotti's Grote Arrangeerwestrijd 2015, second prize, with Laudatio.
• Nomination, Best South American Album, The Contemporary A Cappella Records Awards 2013, for Soñando a Venezuela with Vocalia (Singer, Arranger, Conductor).
• Premio José Rafael Rivas de Arreglos Corales, 60 Aniversario Orfeón ULA 2010, with Canción de Esperanza.
• Premio Municipal de Música Vocal 2009, with Dos Canciones Corales.
• Mención Honorífica, Premio Municipal de Música 2008, with Yadrigal.
• Bronze Diploma, Vokal.Total A Cappella Jazz Competition 2007, with Sies Seis (Singer, Arranger, Conductor).
• Premio al Mérito Estudiantil UCV, 1999, with Diseño Vocal FAU UCV Choir (Founding Conductor and Musical Director)
• 3er Premio General, Concurso Nacional de Coros Merida 98, 1998, with Eduardo Plaza Aurrecoechea Chamber Choir (Conductor).
• Premio Municipal de Música Sinfónica Breve, 1997, with Novilunium.
• Premio Municipal de Música Sinfónica Larga, 1996, with Atmospheria.
• Premio Municipal de Música Vocal 1996, with Yambambó Yambambé.
• Premio Único de Composición Coral 100 Años Electricidad de Caracas, 1995, with Domine Exaudi.
He has been giving workshops and seminars about the interactions between voice, choral music and jazz all around the world since 2009 including, among other venues, the World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona, 2017; the 10th International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony in Tbilisi, 2020; and Jazzedú in Cancún, 2021.
Master in Music, Composition, CODARTS, the Netherlands, 2016. Paul M. van Brugge, coach.
Miguel Ángel Santaella (1971, Caracas) is a Venezuelan composer of mostly choral works that have been performed in the Americas and Europe; he is also active as a conductor. Mr. Santaella studied choral conducting with Belén Ojeda and music theory and solfège with José Marín at the Conservatorio José Ángel Lamas in Caracas from 1990–92. He studied analysis, composition and musical forms privately with César Alejandro Carrillo in Caracas from 1993–2003 and has studied composition with Beatriz Bilbao and Federico Ruíz at the Instituto Universitario de Estudios Musicales (IUDEM) in Caracas since 2004. In addition, he was awarded an honorary degree by East Baton Rouge Parish in Louisiana in 1992.
Among his honours are First Prize in the 100 Años Electricidad de Caracas competition (1995, for Domine Exaudi, Op. 11), the Premio Municipal de Música Vocal (1996, for Yambambó Yambambé, Op. 18), the Premio Municipal de Música Sinfónica Larga (1996, for Atmospheria, Concierto para Orquesta, Op. 15), and the Premio Municipal de Música Sinfónica Breve (1997, for Novilunium, Op. 21). Among his honours as a conductor are the Premio por Excelente Desempeño (1999, 2002, both for his work with the Diseño Vocal FAU–UCV) and the Premio al Mérito Estudiantil (1999, for founding the Diseño Vocal FAU–UCV), both from FAU–UCV in Caracas.
As a conductor, he has led numerous choruses in Venezuela, including the Diseño Vocal FAU–UCV, which he founded in 1998 and of which he has since served as principal conductor. He also founded the Athenaeum Grupo Vocal in Caracas in 2000 and the Cantoria Monteavila of the Universidad Monteavila in Caracas in 2003 and has since served as principal conductor of both. Moreover, he has conducted the Sies Seis Sexteto Vocal Jazz in Caracas since 2000.
Mr. Santaella is also active in other positions. He sang as a bass-baritone with various choruses from 1987–2000, notably the Cantarte Coro de Cámara in Caracas from 1995–97 and the Orfeón Universitario UCV in Caracas from 1990–2000. He served as artistic director of the choral festival Encuentro de Coros Ucevistas in Caracas and the Festival Música Nueva in Caracas in 2000 and has served as chairman of the board of the Encuentro de Coros Ucevistas in Caracas and Maracay since 2002.