Ánxelo Maia

Ánxelo Maia Rodríguez is a Spanish conductor whose artistic training is rooted in the European musical tradition, with an approach to conducting based on the rigorous study of the score and a conscious structural understanding of the work.

Born in Vigo, he began his musical education at an early age, studying piano and cello, and later obtained the Professional Degree in both disciplines. After advancing two academic years during his training, he obtained his first Professional Degree at the age of 14, two years earlier than ordinarily expected. Alongside his formal musical education, he developed extensive performance experience, particularly as a pianist, receiving various prizes and distinctions in national and international competitions.

He pursued his higher studies in Orchestral and Choral Conducting at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC), where he graduated with honours (cum laude), specialising in orchestral conducting. During this period, his long-standing mentor Jordi Mora was a decisive influence, and Mora’s structural and phenomenological approach to the score continues to shape his artistic thinking.

His growing interest in the Central European tradition of orchestral conducting led him to Germany and Austria. After being admitted to Master’s programmes in Orchestral Conducting at both the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna and the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg, he continued his training in Germany. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg with Guido Rumstadt and Peter Dijkstra. He has also worked with Eberhard Friedrich and Mark Gibson and regularly receives artistic guidance from Konrad von Abel, a direct representative of Sergiu Celibidache’s pedagogical tradition.

In Germany, he has worked with ensembles including the Hofer Symphoniker, the Leipziger Symphonieorchester and the Bad Reichenhaller Philharmonie, exploring a broad symphonic repertoire. Since 2026, he has also served as Assistant Conductor of the Mahler Philharmonie.

His work is characterised by meticulous attention to phrasing, tonal balance and the architectural coherence of the work. He understands music not as an arbitrary phenomenon, but as an internally structured reality that reveals itself through the shared experience of conductor and orchestra.

A distinctive dimension of his career is the coexistence of music and medicine since his university years. Ánxelo simultaneously pursued his higher studies in Conducting at ESMUC and his medical degree at the Universitat de Barcelona, completing both programmes in parallel. The exceptional combination of these two demanding disciplines and his subsequent professional development attracted the attention of several Spanish media outlets, which reported on his trajectory between music and medicine.

After completing both degrees, he began doctoral research at Heidelberg University situated precisely at the intersection of these two fields. His research investigated the influence of different musical tuning frequencies — 443 Hz and 432 Hz — on oncology patients and was awarded magna cum laude. In addition to scientifically connecting the two dimensions of his education, this research has enriched his artistic perspective with a particular analytical depth and humanistic sensitivity.

Since January 2026, he has combined his artistic activity and training with specialist medical training in Germany.

Ánxelo speaks five languages and works naturally in international artistic and academic contexts.