Freddie Santos

Santos was born in Quezon City, Metro Manila. His early studies were at Lourdes School (Quezon City), Sacred Heart School and University of Southern Philippines (Cebu City). As a Rotex Scholar in Arvada West, Colorado, he was trained by David Helm in drama and by Rex Nelson in music.

Upon his return to Manila, he was hired by advertising company Dentsu to join its copy department and within three months, he was promoted to copy chief at the age of eighteen. After two years he moved to working in theatre.

He was mentored in voice by his uncle, the baritone Aurelio Santos Estanislao, who at that time headed the Voice Department at the College of Music, University of the Philippines. Santos joined Repertory Philippines as well as Teatro Pilipino, Musical Theater Philippines, and SRO Philippines.

At 20, he was awarded Most Outstanding Youth in Theatre. He was professionally involved, either as actor, coach, assistant director or director in more than a hundred stage plays and musicales. After five years with Repertory Philippines where he was also active in the research and publicity committees, he eventually moved to SRO Philippines where the focus was on dinner theater and where he found the freedom to further develop his other skills. Here, Santos wrote an original play adapted from the book Paper Moon and headlined by a very young Lea Salonga during its premiere run. He also nurtured his skill in stage lighting, make-up and choreography.

A major highlight of his theater career came in the early 80's where he toured the musical Walang Sugat (No Wound) through 10 cities in America as Technical Director, honing his craft as he worked the technical controls of places like the San Francisco Opera House, the Chicago Civic Opera House, and Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center, among others.

All told, Freddie Santos has been involved with the performing arts for over forty years now, winning thrice the Aliw Award for Best Stage Director in the country, the first to win the award in both categories of Stage Musical ('87, '00) and Concert ('08).

He has written and staged the musical plays First Name, Joseph the Dreamer, So David..., Widows, Orphans, and Wildebeests, Il Divino, and SABEL: Love and Passion.