About this Artist
Berlin-based Venezuelan conductor Rodolfo Barráez made his European debut in 2019 with the Hauptstadt Sinfonie-Orchester at Philharmonie Berlin. Currently completing his master’s conducting studies at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, Rodolfo is a natural communicator with infectious charisma, bringing remarkable vivacity, sensitivity, and zeal to his artistry. From 2015 to 2017, Rodolfo served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Falcón Symphony Orchestra.
A recipient of numerous international competition awards, Rodolfo recently took Second Prize at the Inaugural 2020 Siemens-Hallé International Conductors Competition in Manchester (leading to two immediate engagements with The Hallé). He won First Prize the 2018 Philharmonic Orchestra of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (OFUNAM) International Conducting Competition and was a participant at the prestigious Mahler Competition 2016.
Significant future guest conducting engagements for Rodolfo Barráez include The Hallé, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, Minería Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony, Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, Jalisco Philharmonic, and Philharmonic Orchestra of UNAM. Recent highlights include his critically acclaimed debut with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin as well as with RTVE Symphony Orchestra in Madrid.
Strongly influenced by his remarkable beginnings with El Sistema under the guidance of José Antonio Abreu and Teresa Hernández, Rodolfo is committed to contributing to music education. In 2019, he founded the Falcón Conducting Workshop, an organization that nurtures and supports the development of conductors through masterclass and workshop series in his hometown. He has also led masterclasses worldwide at renowned institutions such as the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas. In addition, as part of El Sistema Greece and supported by the Hilti Foundation, Rodolfo provided performance training to young musicians from under-resourced communities in Greece, furthering his passion for bringing young people together through music performance and education.
Rodolfo formed the intrinsic roots of his conducting career as an eminent violinist; he performs regularly with orchestras such as Kammerorchester Berlin, Berliner Konzertorchester and Deutsche Philharmonie Berlin at Konzerthaus Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Tonhalle Zürich. Previously a member of the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra, Rodolfo has performed under Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, and Gustavo Dudamel at venues such as Teatro alla Scala Milan, London’s Royal Festival Hall, the Salzburg Festival, and Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space.
Rodolfo is a graduate of the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, where he continues his master’s studies in orchestral and opera conducting under Christian Ehwald and Hans-Dieter Baum.