ABOUT
Uruguayan countertenor Agustín Pennino is recognized for his distinctive vocal colours, compelling stage presence, and musical versatility, establishing him as one of the most promising young artists of his generation. He is a member of the Royal Academy Opera for the 2025–27 seasons.
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His upcoming engagements include the title role in Ottone at the Monteverdi Festival with Les Arts Florissants, Arbate in Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto at Teatro di San Carlo, and Oberon in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.
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Pennino has appeared on prestigious stages throughout Uruguay and internationally. His operatic highlights include Rinaldo in Handel’s Rinaldo with the Royal Academy Opera, Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea at Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo, Oreste in Offenbach’s La belle Hélène at Teatro Solís, and Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Auditorio Nacional del Sodre.
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He has collaborated with leading Baroque ensembles and conductors, including David Bates, Les Arts Florissants, Le Poème Harmonique. His concert appearances have also included performances with distinguished orchestras such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
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As a concert artist, he has appeared at festivals and concert series including Glasbena Matica in Slovenia, La Escena Vocal at Sala Verdi, and the Gala Latinoamericana at the Auditorio Nacional del Sodre, presented in collaboration with the Royal Opera House.
Pennino was discovered in Uruguay in 2022 by David Gowland, Artistic Director of the Jette Parker Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, who encouraged him to move to London to further develop his artistry and technique. Since then, he has worked closely with some of the opera world’s most respected performers and pedagogues.
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In 2023, he was invited to Carnegie Hall for masterclasses with Joyce DiDonato following his selection for the Opera Workshop organised by the Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Artists Programme in partnership with Uruguay’s Sodre and InterArte. His mentors and coaches have included Iestyn Davies, Jennifer Larmore, Michael Chance, Julius Drake, Yvonne Kenny, Susan Bullock, Edith Wiens, David Butt Philip, Nicky Spence, and Kamal Khan.
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His achievements have been recognised through numerous international awards, including Second Prize and the Audience Prize at the Richard Lewis Competition, First Prize at the ANEMOS International Competition, Third Prize at the Concorso Internazionale Toti Dal Monte - Stignani Competition in Imola, the Emerging Voice Award at the Ottavio Ziino International Competition further confirming his growing reputation as a singer of exceptional promise.
