Biography
Considered one of the most distinguished flutists of the new generation, Alberto Acuña Almela will begin his trial as Solo Flutist with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne in January 2026, a position he is set to formally assume upon successful completion. Since 2023, he has also held the Solo Flute chair at the Staatskapelle Weimar.
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​Born in Seville, Spain, Alberto began his flute studies at the age of eight with Wendela Claire van Swol and Manuel Jesús Lucas, laying the foundations of his musical career. He later completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, where he studied with Professor Jacques Zoon.
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A former member of the Karajan Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker, he not only studied with Emmanuel Pahud, Mathieu Dufour, Michael Hasel, Jelka Weber, and Egor Egorkin, but also performed extensively with the orchestra during his tenure.
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He has been a prizewinner at some of the most important international competitions, including the Carl Nielsen, Maxence Larrieu, Aurèle Nicolet, and Cluj International Competitions, as well as the Concours National de Musique de Riddes, the Premio Andalucía Flauta, and the Migros Pour-cent Culturel Competition.
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Alberto has performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras under conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Kirill Petrenko, Sir Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Andris Nelsons, Paavo Järvi, Christian Thielemann, Marin Alsop, Semyon Bychkov, Tugan Sokhiev, Daniele Gatti, and Daniel Harding, among others. His orchestral engagements include the Berliner Philharmonic, NDR Hamburg, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Mito Chamber Orchestra, the Saito Kinen Orchestra, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, OBC Barcelona, the ONE National Orchestra of Spain, the OSCYL, and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, among others.
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As a solo flutist, he has appeared with the Staatskapelle Weimar, the Orchestre
Philharmonique de Nice, the Odense Symphony Orchestra, the Transylvania
Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, earning praise for his artistry and refined musical voice.
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Since 2021, he has been a jury member at the Cluj International Competition and continues to nurture the next generation of flutists, through an active and vibrant teaching career. Through his versatility and teaching activities, he is recognised as one of the most influential flutists of his generation.