Santorini degli Archangeli (they/them/their) is a Jamaican-born composer, conductor, and tenor-sopranist whose artistic output spans sacred, secular, political, and autobiographical works for piano, voice, chorus, among others. They attended the Dunrobin, Hydel, and Stella Maris Preparatory Schools; at the last of which, given their assessment as academically advanced, they skipped grade 4 and were put in grade 5. At the end of grade 6, they sat the Common Entrance Examinations and went on to attend Ardenne High School.

It was here that they met, and became friends with, the Principal, the late Winston Somerville Roberts, who took a keen interest in their academic and personal wellbeing. Winston Roberts, famous for reminding the students that, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”, ensured that Santorini, as well as the hundreds of other students in his charge, were encouraged and inspired on a daily basis. Winston Roberts did not tolerate bullying, in any capacity, from his students, and apart from his no-nonsense approach to student’s behaviour, paired it with his unique brand of humour, that would feed the students’ admiration of him for many years to come. Sadly, Principal Roberts, after a battle with cancer, died in Santorini’s second year at the school; and for his memorial, which was held at the school’s auditorium, he requested that the choir perform the hymn, “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go”. This piece, featured second in their work Songs from the Old World, Op. 5, was not only inspired by Roberts, but dedicated to him in the work. When Santorini would go on to become an educator in later years, it was Roberts’ uniquely disciplined, open-minded and open-hearted approach, that would become an important part of their own approach to interactions with their students.

After graduating from Ardenne High School, they went on to study Music Education and Literacy Development at the Mico Teachers’ College, their mother’s alma mater; (Classical) Vocal Performance at The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, and Vocal Performance (Opera) at Alcorn State University. They are also Safe Space Certified by the Family and Youth Services Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Suicide Prevention Training by Kognito; and Dealing with Diversity in the Workplace by Global Mindset. They desire to attain full CPR and First Aid certification in the near future. They are a concert performer, who has performed in Jamaica and the United States, and Founder and Conductor of the currently disbanded Il Coro Accademia Trascendenza.

Santorini is passionate about the Culinary Arts; Latin Dancing, Writing, Human and LGBTQ Rights activism on an individual scale, and great lover of Nature and animals. A little known fact is that they are ordained with the Church of Spiritual Humanism, which they did to fulfil the wishes of a couple of friends who wanted them to officiate their wedding. They have also maintained a blog, Dreams on a Battlefield… since 2009.
In addition to being a musician, Santorini’s early years were dedicated to painting and dance. Santorini actually began to teach themself Music Theory at the age of 7. In fact, they originally wanted to pursue Dance as their career, but after delving deeper into their musical studies and abilities when they were in 5th and 6th form, they decided to pursue Music, but continued to carry Dance through their adolescent life and into adulthood. They also hold numerous national awards for Martial Arts, which they began at the age of 2, earning their Junior Black Belt at the age of 12, and 1st Dan at around age 14 or 15, then retiring from that early profession at the age of 19.
Santorini’s earliest mentor in their professional life was Jamaican composer and luminary, the late Lloyd Hall, where they were a featured soloist for a number of years on Hall’s programmes with the Saint Andrew Singers. Perhaps the most influential, however, was Barbara Lloyd, a pianist and music educator with an encyclopaedic knowledge and understanding of Music Theory, Pedagogy and Composition; followed by Pauline Forrest-Watson, in whose vocal studio they were trained at the Edna Manley College’s School of Music. They have also been mentored, for varying periods of time, by a number of other music and other professionals, both in Jamaica and the United States, including Lady Rheima Hall, Dr. Carole Powell, Errol Lyn, Larry Lam, Richard Branden, Denys Wibaux (Former French Ambassador to Jamaica), Christine Bannon-Rodrigues, Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, Dr. Kathy Bullock, Dr. Roger Williams, Peter Ashbourne, Margarita Díaz-Picasso, Teresita Irañeta Ruiz, Peter Dent, Professor Rex Nettleford, Marjorie Whylie, Dr. Noel Dexter, Barry Moncrieffe, Bert Rose, Curtis Watson, Dr. Byron Johnson, Dr. Donna Poirier, Buddy Pouyat, among others.

As a gender non-conforming and androgynous Black Jamaican composer who is unapologetically gay, Santorini degli Archangeli offers a unique, powerful voice within contemporary classical music. Their works blend tonal clarity with harmonic sophistication, intimate narrative with cultural and personal identity, and musical innovation with deep emotional truth. Their compositions invite performers and listeners into a richly textured world of sound, identity, and story.