Conductor Miguel Sepúlveda wins prestigious competition

Congratulations to alumnus Miguel Sepúlveda, joint first prize-winner at the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam, one of the preeminent competitions for young conductors.  

After video pre-selection and preliminary rounds with 24 participants last summer, six finalists were chosen for the final rounds which took place in Rotterdam over the last two weeks. The participants had to rehearse and perform five public concerts with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Klangforum Wien, Sinfonia Rotterdam, Laurens Symfonisch Koor, and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.  

The international jury, which was different for every round, totalled 32 eminent conductors, concertmasters, composers, soloists, CEOs, and artistic advisers. 

Miguel, who graduated from the RNCM in 2023, was jointly awarded the Grand Prix, in addition to winning the Contemporary Music and Opera rounds, and the Codarts Award. 

Miguel said: ‘I’m so overjoyed to have won this edition of the ICCR! These were two very intense weeks working with so many incredible musicians and I definitely couldn’t have done it without all the conducting and rehearsal experience I gained during my time at the RNCM and the guidance I got from Mark Heron and Clark Rundell. I’m very very happy!’ 

Professor Mark Heron, Head of Conducting, added: ‘Unlike most other events of this nature, the ICCR tests the competitors across a very wide range of repertoire with five different orchestras and ensembles, and in rehearsal and performance situations. This makes it a very rigorous test of the wide range of skills needed by young conductors at the start of their careers. Our conducting programmes here at the RNCM are very much in sync with this vision so it was no surprise to see Miguel do so well in this hugely competition.’ 

24 June 2025