Rúbia Santos placed among the most sought-after collaborative pianists from Brazil, and has been praised by the Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung as a performer “who leaves the audience stunned by her provocative pianism as well as her enthusiastic temperament.” Ms. Santos has performed and lectured in the Americas, Europe, and China, and is particularly devoted to presenting works by composers from the Americas. In 2011, she will be releasing the premiere edition of solo piano and vocal works by composer Villani-Côrtes in the US. Ms. Santos has collaborated with distinguished artists, such as singers Christiane Oelze, Laura de Souza, David Dillard, members of the São Paulo String Quartet (Brazil), violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez (The Harlem Quartet), violinist Miha Pogacnik, oboist Alex Klein, conductor and hornist Roberto Minczuk, trumpeter Cathy Leach, among others.

Ms. Santos is a recipient of many awards in the field of collaborative piano. In the US, she is featured in two recordings: “Moyugba Orisha” (White Pine Music Label, 2006) with gold award winner, violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez, presenting the premiere recordings of the Sonatas for Viola and Piano by American composer Paul Chihara and Brazilian composer Edmundo Villani-Côrtes. She also premiered Brazilian works in “A Brazilian Collection” (Tijuca Label, 2001), collaborating with trumpeter Luis Engelke. Her Brazilian compact-recordings include the works for violin and piano by Camargo Guarnieri and L. Pires de Campos with violinist Betina Stegmann (1st violin of the São Paulo String Quartet). In 2010, Ms. Santos recorded two chamber works by 2010 Pulitzer-prized winner, American composer Jennifer Higdon.

Currently, Ms. Santos is assistant professor of piano and collaborative arts at the University of Wyoming, where she also teaches Romanticism in music and keyboard related courses. She earned an artist solo diploma with distinction from the Hochschüle für Musik in Cologne, Germany, in the class of Günter Ludwig (solo piano) and members of the Amadeus Quartet (chamber music). She holds a master's and doctor of musical arts degrees in collaborative piano from Arizona State University, mentored by Eckart Selheim (collaborative piano), Caio Pagano (solo piano), and William Reber (opera). During her career, Ms. Santos has studied with other eminent artists, who have strongly contributed to refining her artistry and creative work, such as Dalton Baldwin, Hartmut Höll, Menahem Pressler, and violinist Chaim Taub.

Ms. Santos has served as a presenter, committee member, and adjudicator for the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). She is also associated with the College Music Society, Mediterranean Studies Association, National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Latin-American Art Song Alliance, and The Partners of the Americans, an institution that promotes cultural and educational exchange between the US and Brazil. As an artist and teacher in residence, Ms. Santos' invitations include the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and Gilmore Keyboard Festival Partner School, Gilmore's "Keys to Education" and Piano Summer Camp; the Latin American Music and Art Festival and Midland Symphony Orchestra Opera Season in Michigan; AIMS Summer Opera Program in Graz, Austria; Brazilian Literature Institute in Arizona; Plymouth Chamber Music Festival in Massachusetts; and Bach Music Festival in Peru.

Ms. Santos' additional teaching commitments involve yearly master classes and workshops at American as well as Brazilian universities and conservatories. Her teaching philosophy encourages independent learning for advancing knowledge, technical skills, and performance quality in combination with body awareness, based on the Feldenkreis method.