ABOUT

Portuguese cellist Mafalda Santos brings to the stage her engaging personality and desire to share music and stories with audiences all over the world. Awarded 1st prize from the Marília Rocha Competition at the age of 10, she has since then been the recipient of over 20 awards from prestigious national and international competitions in Portugal, Spain, England, Germany, and the United States.

Since her debut with the FIME Ensemble at the age of fourteen, Mafalda has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Espinho Classical Orchestra, Metropolitan Classical Orchestra, ‘Ensemble’ Symphony Orchestra, Vigo Symphony Orchestra, and Peabody Symphony Orchestra. A sought-after recitalist, she has performed in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Berliner Philharmoniker, Centro Cultural de Belém, and Casa da Música, in concert series such as Shriver Hall and “Thursdays at 7.” Her performances have been broadcasted live by WQXR and the Portuguese National Radio Antena 2.

An avid chamber musician, Mafalda has performed alongside esteemed artists such as Amit Peled, Evan Drachman, Marina Lomazov, Joseph Rackers, Tony Arnold, Seth Knopp, Maria Lambros, Yong Hi Moon, Romain Garioud, and Alexei Eremine. During her studies, she received the “Honors Ensemble” prize for two years in a row, a title awarded to the best chamber music ensemble at the Peabody Conservatory, and was awarded the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music in 2021. She is regularly invited to take part in renowned chamber music series such as Music in the Great Hall, Chamber Music Encounters, and Union Square Chamber Music Society. During the summer, Mafalda has performed at the Kneisel Hall, Vivace, Sarasota, Manchester, Kronberg, and Schleswig-Holstein music festivals.

Passionate about exploring the impact of classical music in society, Mafalda collaborates with numerous organizations across the US to create innovative and inclusive concerts, such as Our Joyful Noise, The Musical Autist, Creative Access, Inspired Aging, and If Music be the Food. She was the Musician in Residence at the Edenwald Senior Living Community in 2021/22, living with and providing musical services to 350 senior residents. Mafalda also co-founded the project “Storytelling, Storyplaying,” a concert series that brings Literature and Music to public schools in Maryland. Since 2017, she is a member of the Peabody Peled Cello Gang, with which she performs all around the United States.

Mafalda was born in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, where she studied with notable cellists including Miguel Fernandes, Paulo Gaio Lima, Nuno Abreu, and Maria de Macedo. She holds degrees in Cello Performance and Musicology from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, where she studied with Amit Peled on a full scholarship. During her studies at Peabody, she was named the Presser Undergraduate Scholar and won the prestigious Peabody Alumni Award. In 2021, she received the Johns Hopkins President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts and was inducted into the music honors society Pi Kappa Lambda. Mafalda is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Yale University, studying with Paul Watkins as a George W. Miles fellowship recipient.