Santon, The Musical Savant.
“Savant syndrome is a rare condition in which persons with various developmental disorders, including autistic disorder, have an amazing ability and talent.”
Santon is an award-winning musician who is blind from birth and autistic. He was born in 1991 in St. Petersburg, Russia, and at the age of 1.5 years moved with his family to Massachusetts, USA.
Showing musicality early, Santon began piano lessons at 3.5 years old. He is an alumnus of Perkins School for the Blind. Over the years at Perkins, he performed with Orleans, Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals, Peter Wolf, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, and Natalie Merchant.
Santon went on to graduate from Berklee College of Music, summa cum laude. He plays multiple instruments in various genres and composes music.
Santon performs as a solo pianist, accompanies singers, and plays piano in the Boston Tango Orchestra. He has also been collaborating with a Kentucky-native writer and spoken word artist CD Collins, composing and playing music to her lyrics.
Santon performed in many Boston venues including Boston Symphony Hall, Berklee Performance Center, and Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA. He also traveled to Colorado, Kentucky, New York, Florida, and several other states to play solo or with his music partners.
Santon produced 2 albums: “Flavors of the Rainbow” – solo piano classical favorites, and “Night Animals” – CD Collins & Santon duet of spoken word with music.
When Santon doesn’t play music, he dances the Argentine tango, does acrobatics on a trapeze, windsurfs, rides a tandem bicycle with his dad, swims, skis, skates, travels, and fully enjoys life.
“Santon is not a tame musician, and I love that about playing with him. He’s super skilled at the technical stuff but also has a rawness, boldness, and joyfulness that is really satisfying to me.”
“Anton Sviridenko [Santon] has a quick ear and a prodigious memory. He
seems to absorb music through his skin and can accurately imitate any style of
music. When he is playing music, he does so with his entire being. Clearly
music gives him much joy.”
“[S]Anton is an exceptional musician. He has an outstanding musical ear and is able to play songs in many styles from classical to jazz to pop and folk, i.e. in any style. He has an excellent sense of pitch and plays with appropriateness in whatever style he is performing”.
~ Arnie Harris, Music Director, Perkins School for the Blind
“Santon, who has savant syndrome, is an extraordinary musician who proves that disabilities are not limitations. […] From playing with renowned musicians to producing his own albums, Santon is a true artist with a unique perspective on life.”
For bookings and press inquiries contact Santon:
Email: info@santonmusic.com
Phone: (781) 321-9459
I’m based in Malden, MA
