A native of Salvador, Brazil, violinist/violist Yuri Santos is a distinguished performer recognized for his versatility in orchestral, solo, and chamber music repertoire. He was appointed Concertmaster by the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra in 2024. Yuri's accolades include first prizes at the Beethoven-Haus Bonn String Quartet Competition, Macauley Chamber Music Competition, and the South Florida Young Artist Solo Competition, as well as being a recipient of the Music Society of Coral Lakes and Edward H. Benenson awards. As soloist, he has appeared with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, Bachiana Filarmônica Sesi-São Paulo, and Orquestra Antunes Câmara. His festival engagements include the Music Academy of the West, Britten-Pears Chamber Music, and Meadowmount School of Music. An active chamber musician, Yuri has performed extensively across the United States, Europe, and Brazil, collaborating with renowned artists such as Jeremy Denk, Andrés Díaz, and Peter Bruns, as well as the Calidore and Aeolus Quartets. He was a member of the Lírios Quartet, which was named Emerging Artist Quartet in Residence at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. The quartet served the prestigious Graduate String Quartet Residency at the University of Colorado Boulder for two years, under the mentorship of the Takács Quartet.
Yuri began his musical studies at the age of eight under the tutelage of his father, Ênio Antunes. He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Performer Diploma from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with Kevork Mardirossian, Mauricio Fuks, and Mark Holloway.
During his free time, Yuri loves cooking new cuisines, traveling, and mathematics.