The Argentinian-born countertenor Franco Fagioli has signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Fagioli is the first countertenor in history to sign such a contract with DG and his solo debut album, which will be recorded later this year, will be release in 2016.

Earlier this year Fagioli starred in a live recording of the original version of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice with conductor Laurence Equilbey and the Insula orchestra, this recording is due for release on September 11 on DG's Archiv Produktion label. 

Fagioli is no stranger to the recording studio. His most notable appearance to date is probably the recording of Vinci's Artaserse for Virgin Classics (now Erato) on which he appeared alongside fellow countertenors Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cencic, Valer Barna-Sabadus and Yuriy Mynenko. This Artaserse was Gramophone's Recording of the Month in January 2013, though Gramophone's David Vickers wasn't entirely convinced by Fagioli's contribution: 'Other listeners might find Fagioli’s mannered vowels more pleasing than I do but the technical assurance of his coloratura is impressive.'

Fagioli has also recorded an album called 'Arias for Caffarelli', featuring music by Vinci, Porpora and Pergolesi for Naïve, of which Vickers wrote: 'Fagioli’s rapid high passages are astonishing.' Below is a video of Fagioli introducing the Caffarelli album: