Ana Ester Santos completed her Master’s degree in Harp Performance at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where she studied with Erika Waardenburg and Sandrine Chatron. She also undertook an Erasmus exchange programme at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin, Germany. In addition, she holds a Master’s degree in Music Education from the Lisbon School of Music.
She was an academy member of the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, performing in the orchestra’s symphonic productions during the 2017/2018 season.
As a soloist, Ana Ester Santos has performed at numerous prestigious venues and events, including the Concert in Honour of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in Bangkok in October 2019. Other notable appearances include her solo recital at the International Harp Friends Meeting 2016 in the Netherlands. She has also performed as a soloist with the Cascais and Oeiras Chamber Orchestra, the Con Spirito Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of the Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR).
In 2016, she received an award at the Dutch “Rosa Spier” Harp Competition and was granted a scholarship by the Dutch foundation Nationaal Muziek Fonds, which provided her with a Lyon & Healy concert harp for use throughout her residence in the Netherlands.
In 2023, she recorded the album Florbela Porter with Ensemble D’Arcos, with whom she performs regularly. Her chamber music collaborations also include the harp and flute duo Senza Misura, alongside flautist Marina Camponês, and she is a member of the Lisbon Contemporary Music Group (Grupo de Música Contemporânea de Lisboa – GMCL).
She is currently the harpist of the Symphonic Band of the Portuguese National Republican Guard while continuing her career as a soloist. She also collaborates frequently with leading Portuguese orchestras, including the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, the Portuguese Chamber Orchestra, the Cascais and Oeiras Chamber Orchestra, and the Sintra Municipal Orchestra.
