Rouel was born in Krugersdorp in South Africa and started singing at the age of six. After completion of his studies as a school teacher in 1977 he sang for PACT on a free-lance basis. He studied singing privately and in 1980 won the Mimi Coertse Bursary which allowed him to study in Munich, Germany. On his return to South Africa he joined The State Theatre in Pretoria as a soloist. Touring South Africa in opera, operetta and oratoria, he has thrice won the coveted Nederburg prize for Opera. Other awards include the Friends of the Opera Bursary, the State Theatre/SAA Opera Foundation Award, which enabled him to study in Milan, Italy under Maestro Franco Ferraris, and a Vita Award.
Rouel boasts a repertoire of 137 roles in opera, operetta, musicals varying from Wagner to Lloyd Webber. In 2004 he had the opportunity to join Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's company The Really Useful Group as a member of the cast, touring Asia with Phantom of the Opera. He stayed with the company till 2007. He had been part of nearly 800 performances in 5 different roles touring Cape Town, Pretoria, Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Some of Rouel’s most recent performances include the roles of Capellio (leader of the Capulets and Juliet’s father) in Bellini’s opera
I Capuleti e i Montecchi (The Capulets and Montagues) in Pretoria (2006), Lazar Wolf in the hit musical
Fiddler on the Roof in Johannesburg (2007) and Olaff Bergh, Lidner’s father in
Poet & Prophetess in Umea, Sweden (2008). Note: In a 2002 production of
Fiddler Rouel sang the role of Tevye.
PerformancesRouel is also an accomplished actor and voice artist and has over time featured in many South African radio and television programmes and dramas. He pursued a lifelong dream to become a qualified professional hunter, field guide and National Tour Guide and is (when not on stage or in studio) very much involved in accompanying tourists and hunters on safaris in South Africa and neighbouring countries.
Rouel is an entertainer par excellence and his rendition of standards complementing his voice makes him a firm concert favourite. To date he has two CD releases to his credit: Emotions (2004) and I'll walk with God (2007).
