This week’s #RAArtistinFocus is Spanish countertenor and conductor Alberto Miguélez Rouco! He is a laureate of the Jardin des Voix Academy’s 10th edition in 2021, and in 2022 won Ópera Actual’s award for most promising young artist, presented at Teatro Real. Next season, Alberto returns to Gran Teatre del Liceu to sing Nireno in Calixto Bieito’s production of Giulio Cesare in Egitto, conducted by William Christie.
This Sunday, Alberto makes his debut at Oper Köln singing the role of Ottone in L'incoronazione di Poppea, directed by Ted Huffman and conducted by George Petrou, the same production he performed in 2023 at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía.
“Alberto Miguélez Rouco 's Ottone is more than correct, who amazes at his still early age” (Alexander Martinez, Platea Magazine, 2023)
Alberto founded the baroque orchestra Ensemble Los Elementos in 2018 which he directs from the harpsichord, performing the first modern performance on historic instruments of José de Nebra’s Vendado es Amor, no es ciego. Focussing on the rediscovery and performance of works from mostly unknown Spanish baroque repertoire, the ensemble released Alberto’s first solo album ‘Cantadas’ on Pan Classics, which is dedicated to José de Nebra and Francisco Corselli’s sacred cantadas.
“Miguélez, at the harpsichord and controlling even the smallest detail of what happened in the orchestra, is the great architect of what is, to a large extent, quite a musical miracle. Because Los Elementos is, in effect, a small musical miracle… we could consider [him as] the Spanish Klaus Mäkelä: blond…due to the enormous talent that both treasure.” (Eduardo Torrico, Scherzo)
Watch him conduct here.
He has performed with conductors such as René Jacobs, William Christie, Christoph Russet and Paul Agnew in both opera and concert.
“Alberto Miguélez… who made it clear that he is a rising star. The young countertenor delighted us with his homogeneous color, beautiful timbre and facility for agility, at the same time that he offered us his skill playing the triumphant castanets, in his last aria of the 2nd act 'Sè, lieti festeggiate'. ” (Opera World)
Watch him perform Bach with the Bach Vereniging here.
