– Short Bio –
Versatility, energy and musicality define Lucas Figueiredo Santana, 1993. Saxophone player but also clarinet and flute player, the young Brazilian musician based in Amsterdam has shown a unique way to express himself through music, crossing over the Brazilian samba-jazz, Bossa Nova and Choro with Jazz.
Keep an Eye Records winner – 2020 and and Downbeat Magazine winner on the Small Jazz Combo category, Lucas has been based in Europe since 2015 where he had countless opportunities in which he could experience the apex of the music, sharing the stage with many great musicians from the Brazilian, Jazz and pop scene.
Throughout his arrangements and compositions, he brings to life his deepest musical feelings and emotions, expressing it into several different musical settings from jazz trio to large ensembles.
– long bio –
Born in São Paulo, Lucas Figueiredo started his musical studies playing the clarinet in the city of Piracaia, in the country side of São Paulo – Brazil. Through years of hard work, he had the opportunity to participate in several groups in the Bragantine Region, such as the Youth Big Band of Atibaia and the Youth Symphonic Band of Bragança Paulista.
By playing with the Youth Orchestra Tom Jobim – EMESP he was able to perform in some of the most important theaters of the State of São Paulo like the Latin America Memorial, the MASP Auditorium, the São Pedro theater and Sala São Paulo with great artists of Brazilian music such as Roberto Sion, Nelson Ayres, Monica Salmaso, Tatiana Parra, Benjamim Taubkim, Marcos Suzano, Ricardo Herz, Nailor Proveta, among others.
He won the Young Soloist prize into the Tom Jobim Youth Orchestra in 2014 and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation award 2016. Lucas received a scholarship for the first year of the bachelor’s degree in the Conservatorium van Amsterdam – Holland. Since then he has been developing his career in Europe.
Playing solo, he shared the stage with several artists of Brazilian instrumental music like Edu Ribeiro, Paulo Braga, Marinho Andreotti, Eduardo Neves, Moises Alves, Daniel Sá, Michel Dorfman, Renato Borghetti and many others.
At the moment Lucas’s has concluded the Master’s Program at Conservatorium van Amsterdam, having as mentor Jasper Blom, Simon Rigter, Ben van Gelder and Dick Oatts.
Lucas had the privilege to receive a few awards and win competitions such as Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation 2016, Jazz Contest Bucharest 2017 with AG Quintet, member of JM World Jazz Orchestra 2019, Keep an Eye Records 2020 and Downbeat Magazine Student Award 2021.
Among some groups that Lucas could join in Netherlands, he had the opportunity to play with the Dutch Concert Big Band, Jazz Orchestra of Concertgebouw, Four Tops and Temptations and the Metropole Orkest.
With CvA Big Band he had the opportunity to play with big names such as Jasper Blom, Simon Rigter, Ferdnand Povel, David Linx, Dennis Mackrell and Alex Sipiagin.
Since September 2018, Lucas’s a regular member of Millenium Jazz Orchestra, regular replacement for the Peter Beets & Henk Meutgeerd New Jazz Orchestra and New Cool Collective Big Band with Benjamim Herman.
Discography:
- Trio Pano de Prato
- Lucas Santana 5tet – Reflections
- Lucas Santana 5tet – Ambivalence
- Metropole Orkest – Brazil Session
- Bosquejos do Brasil – feat Adam Quartet
As a sideman:
- Olaia Music – Volume one
- Banda Fulo EP
- Ágora – 3 Reales
- Millenium Jazz Orchestra – Bleeding Amazonia
- Kau Caldas – Interior
- Amanda Temponi – Púrpura
- Joao Vedana – Despertar
- Cantorias
- Sven Hammond Big Band plays Ray Charles – Live at North Sea Jazz 2023
- Jetse de Jong plays Dorothy Labostrie