Leonardo de Paula Carneiro Santos

Doctor of Musical Arts

Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dr. Santos is a dedicated musician and piano teacher.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in music with a concentration in Piano Performance from Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Seminário Teológico Betel as well as a Master of Arts in Music with a concentration in Piano Performance from Campbellsville University, a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Campbellsville University, a Master of Music in Piano Performance from The University of Louisville, a Master of Music in Church Music with concentration in Piano Performance from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. Santos has written essays related to piano performance and piano pedagogy to show the cultural influences involving piano performance in Brazilian music. Among these are “Piano Pedagogy in Brazil: A Look at Cultural Influences,” “The Relationship between Musical Analysis and Performance,” “Marlos Nobre’s Musical Style: The IV Ciclo Nordestino Op. 43 and the Piano Toccatas No. 1 and No. 2.” 

​His writings reveal specific historical characteristics that shaped the development of the musical performance in Brazil and abroad.