Born 1941 in Buenos Aires, of a Hungarian mother and Argentinian father. From his earliest youth studied piano with B.Olsson and later with the conductor Theodor Fuchs with whom he continued and completed his wider musical education.
In post war Argentina, he embarked upon his career as a child prodigy, with numerous recitals and concerts under the conductorships of Otto Klemperer (1951), Manuel Rosenthal (1952), Ernst Märzendorfer (1953) and others.

From adolesence, his study of the works of Mahler, Schönberg and Webern greatly inspired him to become a composer. At the age of 17, he joined the “Agrupacion Nueva Musica” (an institution devoted to contemporary music) as composer and pianist.

In 1964 he moved to Europe as guest of the (West) Berlin “Artists in Residence” programme (1964-66). He worked with Luciano Berio in 1966 and become assistant to Bruno Maderna at the Deutsche Oper Berlin (1966-1967).
In 1967 and 1968, he was invited by the Buffalo University New York (Center of Creative and Performing Arts) to perform, teach and conduct. He was awarded the Guggenheim Prize (New York, 1971) for his compositions “Überwindung” and “Schichten” (works commissioned by the Donaueschingen and Royan Festivals).
Based in Paris from 1972, he engaged in intensive activity as a concert pianist, performing classical and contemporary music (soloist with Ernest Bour, Michel Tabachnik, Semyon Bychkov…). He worked closely with the “Domaine Musical”, “Musique Vivante” and with the Festivals of Royan, Metz, La Rochelle, Aix en Provence…

He became a French national in 1986 and in addition to his concert programmes he devoted time to teaching, giving master-classes at several European institutions ; a regular jury member at international competitions, he was also professor of piano at the CNSML for 9 years.

A composer since the age of 16, he has to date produced over 120 works. On the occasion of his 50th birthday, the Orchestra de Paris commissioned his Second Symphony, (played for the first time in Paris under Semyon Bychkov in 1992).
In 2004 he was awarded the Prix de composition Paul-Louis Weiller (Académie des Beaux-Arts, Institut de France). In 2017, the Regia Accademia Filarmonica de Bologna commissioned his 2nd Concerto for piano and orchestra, and made him Honorary Member for his contribution to the arts.

Carlos Roqué Alsina was made Officer of the Ordre National des Arts et Lettres in 1986.

Source : https://carlosroquealsina.com/, 2026