Rodrigo Sámano Albarrán Conductor

Rodrigo Sámano made his conducting debut in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein in 2018. Praised for his capacity to convey the inner essence of the music, he brings a sensitivity to the singing line of the music he conducts.

He has led orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna (RSO), Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Sinfonia Rotterdam, Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, Opera I Filharmonia Podlaska, Orchestra Senzaspine, Orkiestra Operi na Zamku, Kharkiv National Opera Orchestra, Webern Symphony Orchestra, Esker Festival Orchestra, among others. Over the years he has participated in masterclasses with Marin Alsop, Sian Edwards, Daniele Gatti and Johannes Schlaefli, who made important contributions to his artistic development.

Born in Mexico City into a family of singers, he grew up surrounded by the sounds of Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi. He completed his bachelor's degree as a cellist in Spain with Prof. Asier Polo and in 2018 moved to Vienna to pursue orchestral conducting studies with Prof. Mark Stringer and choral conducting with Prof. Alois Glaßner at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

During the 23/24 season he served as conductor of the Marchfeld Philharmonie. He was also awarded the 2023 Appreciation Prize at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna after concluding his studies with the highest honours.

In 2025 he was a semifinalist of the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award (YCA) organised by the Salzburg Festival and was invited to the Kritisches Orchester. As an assistant this season he has worked with Marie Jacquot and the Wiener Symphoniker as well as with Finnegan Downie Dear and the Staatskapelle Berlin.

A Designated Winner of the 24/25 International Conducting Competition Rotterdam, this season sees Rodrigo Sámano return to The Netherlands in June of 2025 to conduct a variety of orchestras and ensembles, including the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and Klangforum Wien.