A prominent figure in Latin American lyrical scene, Alejandro Roca’s enthusiasm and interest in the vocal repertoire has led him to promote and participate, as a conductor and a vocal coach, in the most important projects in the field over the last two decades.  

His recent engagements include performances of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona, the world premiere of the song cycle Diez lunas para una espera leading the Colombian National Symphony Orchestra, debuts with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Cláudio Santoro National Theater in Brasilia. He was recently appointed as artistic director of the Young Artist Program at Opera Company of Middlebury, VT. Roca has collaborated with such renowned conductors as Rinaldo Alessandrini, Gustavo Dudamel, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Josep Caballé Domenech and Daniela Candillari among many others. Roca has appeared in recital with numerous vocalists around the world and has recorded music by several Latin American composers and his repertoire includes more than 80 fully prepared operas and zarzuelas.

Roca serves as Lecturer in Music/Opera Coach at the Yale School of Music where he has recently conducted Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins and Rossini’s La Cambiale di Matrimonio. He previously served as pianist and conductor at the Colombian National Opera for 15 years, opera coach and director of the Opera Workshop at Central University in Bogotá, and music director at Scuola Italia and Opera Viva summer programs for young singers in Italy. He has also been a member of the faculty at the University of Antioquia, in Medellín, and at Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá, and has served as director of the Cartagena International Music Festival’s academic program. Roca’s pedagogical experience includes the presentation of master classes at Indiana University and the University of Michigan in the United States, Nayang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, Capela di Santa Maria in Curitiba, Brazil, and the University of Valle and the University of the North in Colombia, among other institutions. 

Roca earned his master of arts degree in orchestral conducting from the National University of Colombia and his bachelor of arts degree in piano performance from the Antonio Maria Valencia Conservatory in Cali. He also pursued postgraduate studies at Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona.