Due to its length, the variety of areas in which he has worked, and the interest of the artist himself to leave few permanent records of himself, summarizing artistic the career of Carles Santos is impossible. Carles does not like recordings, and few pictures of his productions are available.
Born in Vinaròs (Castellón) in 1940. He started to play the piano at the age of five. Shortly after his teenage years he was already an accomplished player, interpreting the works of classical masters. Soon afterwards he started playing the works of vanguardist European artists, while at the same time he was one of the few on this side of the Atlantic to be interested in the work of American composers. He later became a conductor, working with the Grup Instrumental Catalá, which was based in the Fundación Miro in Barcelona.
In the mid seventies he decides to play only his own works, and expands his interests into the areas of video and writing. He also creates works in a style difficult to describe, from which the visual poems of Joan Brossa already stand out. During several years, he focuses his musical interests on the voice, composing and performing vocal solos. The record "Voicetracks" is a work left from this period. Afterwards he focuses back on the piano, which he had never really abandoned ("Pianotrack", "Carles Santos piano").
But it is in the late eighties when Santos gives his career a new twist: the mix of theatrical and musical elements ("Tramuntana Tremens", "Asdrúbila" or "La Pantera Imperial"). He focuses on the creation of shows in which music, theatre, and dance, with the lighting and costumes being especially important, join forces to create a new genre, designed only to be experienced live.

NCPLA

Discography:

• Carles Santos: Piano (Edigsa, 1977)
• Voicetracks (R.A. Taylor, 1981)
• Pianotrack (L. Música, 1984)
• Pertorbació Inesperada (L. Música, 1986)
• Carles Santos piano (Grabaciones Accidentales, 1988)
• Belmonte (Virgin, 1990)
• Música para las Ceremonia Olímpicas (OTR, 1993)
• Promenade Concert (E. Privada, 1993)
• La porca i vibriàtica tecluria (Plusmusic, 1994)
• Himne (K-Industria Cultural, 1995)

Shows (selection):

• Visca el piano
• La boqueta amplificada
• Crèdit tonal
• Tramuntana Tremens
• La grenya de Pasqual Picanya (Assessor juridic/administratiu)
• L'esplèndida vergonya del fet mal fet
• La Pantera Imperial
• Asdrúbila
• Ricardo i Elena

Films (selection):

• L'àpat (1967)
• Playback (1970)
• Acció Santos (1972)
• La Re Mi La (1979)

Soundtracks (selection):

• Noctturn 29 (Pere Portabella) (1968)
• Vampir-Cuadecic (Pere Portabella) (1970)
• Informe General (Pere Portabella) (1977)
• Vértigo en Mahattan (Gonzalo Herralde) (1981)
• El pianista (Vázquez Montalbán, dir: Mario Gas) (1997)

Piano Works (selection):

• Piano sol
• Bujaraloz by night
• Alfombra voladora
• Codi o estigma?

Voice Works (selection):

• Tocaticotocata
• Dorema-domare
• Si que té lo que té
• Astukaplau

"Un authentique baroque nourri du surrealisme catalan, un humoriste sceptique pas un brin avare de son énergie débordante, un pianiste profesionnel qui considère son choeur comme 'un objet en soi' à prendre justement 'comme un piano très traditionnel', et à faire bouger et danser sans que jamais la musique s'arrête." (LIBERATION)

"Sur le thème de l'énergie vocale et de la gestualité naturelle que découle de la voix, une succession d'objects sonores et animés, douze variations chantées et dansées par des corps en liberté surveillée, dirigées sans baguette mais à partir d'une vraie partition par Carles Santos, l'auteur, le concepteur plutôt Enragé Catalan. Peut-être nostalgique du théâtre vociférant d'Artaud, des interjections lettristes, des fulminations dadaïstes. Agacé, sûrement, par le zapateado, les trépignements frénétiques du flamenco et autres coutumes récurrentes." (LE MONDE)

"Grand spectacle à la Aida revisité par Cecil B. de Mille, grandes colères dévastatrices à la Almodovar, l'oeuvre n'est pas revolutionnaire, mais son iconoclasme joyeux galvanise les spectateurs. On s'étonne que hors le Festival d'Automme où il est prévu cette saison, on ne voie ps plus de ce coté-ci des Pyrénées les oeuvres d'un artiste capable de réconcilier le public avec la musique contemporaine." (LE MONDE)

"The EIF is doing sterling service in bringing the visionary nature of contemporary Catalan performance to these shores. There are only another two chances to see this one, and you'd be mad to miss out. Even -perhaps especially- Bach lovers will love it." (THE HERALD)

"What happens when a classically trained musician with abant-garde leanings approaches theatre just like he were writing a musical score? You end up, it would seem, with quite the strangest piece of theatre." (THE HERALD)

"Those who prefer their theatre solidly baked or simply lightly toasted with words, those who seek savoury and analytical sense, even those who will happily consume healthy portions of non verbal drama as long as it is well seasoned with meaning - these people will need to throw their preconceptions to the wind as they plunge into the uncompromisingly surreal sequences of Santos." (THE SCOTSMAN)

" 'Ricardo i Elena': L'energie dégagée sur le plateau saisit inmédiatement comme saisissent la musique et le chant. Voix superbes des chanteurs qui médusent le public de l'Odeon par la sereine puissance de leurs timbres et la liberté grande dont ils sont capables, toujours accompagnés de deux acrobates auxquels Carles Santos impose d'etonnantes figures." (LE FIGARO)