Carles Santos Ventura, also known as Carles Santos, born on July 1, 1940, in Vinaròs, Spain, was a musician, pianist, and composer. He began studying music at age five and later attended the Conservatory of Music of Liceu in Barcelona. His early career included performances of works by Bartók, Schönberg, and Webern. In 1968, he moved to the United States, where he discovered avant-garde music, particularly the work of John Cage, which significantly influenced his style. He founded the Grup Instrumental Català with Josep Maria Mestres Quadreny in the 1970s and collaborated extensively with filmmaker Pere Portabella. Notable works include the music for Concert Irregular by Joan Brossa and the fanfares for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, which complemented Ryūichi Sakamoto's theme "Mar Mediterráneo". Santos received numerous awards, including the Premi Nacional de Composició de la Generalitat de Catalunya in 1990 and the Creu de Sant Jordi in 1999. He passed away on December 4, 2017.
