Rafael Rojas was born in Mexico and studied at the University of Guadalajara and subsequently joined the post-graduate opera course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama‚ completing his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. As a student‚ Rafael was invited to sing Rodolfo in the British Youth Opera’s production of La Bohème‚ as well as taking the title roles in two college productions of Roberto Devereux and Ernani‚ to widespread critical acclaim. He has appeared extensively in the UK‚ including concerts with the Halle Orchestra and Kent Nagano‚ and has also sung under the batons of Mariss Jansons with the Pittsburgh Symphony‚ and David Shallon with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. In 1995 Rafael Rojas took part in the Plácido Domingo Competition where he was awarded the prestigious Domingo prize‚ followed by a personal invitation to sing El Gato Montes at the Washington Opera. Early engagements included Alfredo‚ Nemorino and Rodolfo for Seattle Opera; Pinkerton at Glimmerglass‚ New York City and New Israeli Operas; Werther‚ Alfredo and Pinkerton for Boston Lyric Opera and Macduff and Ismaele (Nabucco) for Houston Grand Opera. His European début was made at the 1999 Bregenz Festival as Gustavo in a new production of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera‚ conducted by Marcello Viotti. He returned to Bregenz for Rodolfo‚ his London debut in a staged version by Phyllida Lloyd of Verdi’s Requiem at English National Opera‚ Dick Johnson in Christopher Alden’s production of Fanciulla del West at Opera Zuid and Rodolfo for Opera Australia. He sang the title role in Verdi’s Don Carlo (Italian version) in Leipzig and subsequently sang with Opera North in Tosca and La Rondine‚ at the Semperoper Dresden as Rodolfo‚ with New Zealand Opera as Cavaradossi and at the Deutsche Oper‚ Berlin as Ismaele. He has sung Don José‚ Cavaradossi and Calaf with Welsh National Opera‚ Radames (Aida) in Savonlinna and Duca (Rigoletto) in a new production for Opera North. Recent engagements include Pinkerton and Cavaradossi at Opera North‚ Gustavo in Graz‚ Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra‚ Gustavo and Manrico (Il trovatore) at Opera Holland Park and Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Canio (I Pagliacci) in Saarbrücken.
