Jaume Santonja is a notable Spanish conductor whose career in classical music is quickly gaining prominence. He has held significant positions such as Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano and Associate Conductor of the Basque National Orchestra (Euskadiko Orkestra). From 2018 to 2020, he was the Assistant Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra CBSO, working closely with Music Director Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. This role provided him with invaluable experience and professional opportunities that launched his international career.

Jaume’s conducting style is characterized by his vibrant energy and collaborative approach. He firmly believes in the importance of communication and empathy within the orchestra, and his leadership is grounded in mutual respect and a shared passion for music. His goal is always to take the audience on an emotional journey, connecting deeply with each piece he conducts.

Jaume is regularly invited to conduct major orchestras in Spain, including the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España (OCNE), the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV), the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (OBC), the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife (OST), and the Real Filharmonía de Galicia, among others. Internationally, he has worked with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (ASO), Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, the Belgrade Philharmonic, the Philharmonie Zuidnederland, and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra to name a few.

He has shared the stage with renowned artists including Gautier Capuçon, Ning Feng, Alena Baeva,  Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Alexandra Dariescu, Bruno Philippe, Alexandra Suonum, Tom Borrow, Andrei Korobeinikov, Alexandra Conunova, Alba Ventura, Denis Kozhukhin to mention some.
His most recent opera activity saw him conducting Zarzuelas in Oviedo and La bohème at Teatro Lirico in Cagliari.

His academic credentials are a Master of Music in Conducting from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp and a Master of Music in Percussion from the Amsterdam Conservatorium. Additionally, he holds a Higher Graduate Degree in Percussion from the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMuC) in Barcelona.

Jaume’s career includes founding the AbbatiaViva music collective, which explores innovative and accessible ways of presenting music. As a percussionist, he was the principal percussionist at the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra for seven seasons and has performed with the most prestigious youth orchestras such as the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and the Verbier Festival Orchestra, under the batons of renowned conductors like Mariss Jansons and Pierre Boulez or Zubin Mehta.

In June 2020 Santonja was selected among the four most promising young conductors to participate in the exclusive masterclasses with Iván Fischer and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.