Samuel Mariño, the Venezuelan male soprano, has signed to Decca Classics. His first album for the label will be called 'Sopranista' - a term for male soprano - and released on May 27. The programme will feature a mixture of 18th century castrato, soprano and ‘trouser role’ arias by Gluck and Mozart, as well as first recordings of pieces by Joseph Bologne and Domenico Cimarosa.

We featured Mariño in our One to Watch column in August 2020, at the time of his debut album on the Orfeo label, where we wrote of his voice: 'Mariño harnesses his natural range and impressively agile coloratura to a distinctive vocal timbre that while clearly different from a female soprano also stands apart from celebrated falsettists such as Philippe Jaroussky or Franco Fagioli.'

A former student at the Conservatore de Paris, Mariño was mentored by Barbara Bonney in Salzburg, who encouraged him to focus on the Mozart soprano arias featured on the forthcoming album. 'She said you can sing all the Mozart castrato roles that countertenors cannot sing', said Mariño. 'She taught me them all. Idamante from Idomeneo, Aminta from Il re pastore, Sesto from La Clemenza di Tito, Cecilio in Lucio Silla, even Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, which even though it’s not a castrato role she said I had the perfect voice for.'

Mariño also recalls being contacted on social media by musicologists with aria suggestions, which has led to some of the works included on this album. 'Sopranista' has been recorded with La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, conducted by Andrea Marcon.

'If I want to sing a role and I am able to, then I sing it,' Mariño added. 'It’s not because it’s a man or a woman or a castrati. If one day I’m wearing a dress on stage, I want you to love me like that. If another day, I’m in jeans and sneakers, I want you to love me like that as well. I’m not making a piece for a museum – I am making live art.'