Samuel Agustín Aguirre Guerra

Born in 1993 in Ciudad Bolívar, Colombia, Samuel Agustín Aguirre Guerra has built an international career spanning Latin America and Europe, establishing himself as a conductor of vivid stage energy and a strong sense of orchestral dramaturgy. Today, he holds both Dutch and Colombian citizenship and maintains an active professional presence on leading European stages.

His musical journey began with the oboe — an instrument that shaped his deep understanding of breath, phrasing, and tonal line. He completed preparatory and undergraduate oboe studies at the Universidad de Antioquia and Universidad EAFIT in Medellín, later earning both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Oboe from Conservatorium Maastricht (Netherlands). He subsequently specialized in orchestral conducting, obtaining both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Conducting in Maastricht.

His professional development has led him to significant positions on the European operatic and symphonic scene. He served as Assistant Conductor at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie – Liège (Belgium) under Chief Conductor and Music Director Giampaolo Bisanti, as well as Assistant Conductor of the Chineke! Orchestra in London. He has worked with institutions such as the Hamburg State Opera, the Hungarian State Opera, and Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari.

Among the orchestras he has conducted are the Sinfonieorchester Basel, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, the Filarmonica dell’Opera Italiana “Bruno Bartoletti,” the South Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of IMEP, and the Orchestra and Choir of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie – Liège (2022–2025). He also serves as Chief Conductor and Artistic Leader of the Limburg Youth Symphony Orchestra in the Netherlands — a role in which he combines artistic leadership with work alongside young musicians.

An active participant in international competitions, Samuel Aguirre reached the final stages of the Assistant Conductor Competition of the Opéra National du Rhin (2024), the Assistant Conductor Competition of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (2023), and the International Conducting Competition of the University of Almería (2023), as well as the final 16 of the Lake Como International Conducting Competition (2022).

His artistic development has been enriched through collaboration with conductors such as Giampaolo Bisanti, Rafael Payare, Andrew Gourlay, Sander Teepen, and Karel Deseure. He has worked with numerous international soloists, including Joyce El-Khoury, Raffaella Lupinacci, Vittorio Prato, Marko Mimica, and Marina Monzó.

Samuel Aguirre works confidently in multicultural environments where communication, leadership, and inspiration are essential to artistic success. His conducting style combines Latin American expressiveness with European precision — a balance between energy and structure, impulse and clarity.