From 1990 to 1991, he worked at the Vienna State Opera as assistant to Claudio Abbado and as second conductor in the productions of Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro and Wozzeck, and later for Otello and Elektra at the Salzburg Easter Festival.
In 1998, Alcalde conducted at the premiere of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Theatre in Madrid with choreography by Nacho Duato for the Spanish National Dance Company (CND).
For John Malkovich´s directorial film debut, The Dancer Upstairs, Alcalde conducted the music composed by Alberto Iglesias with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra and soloists from the Berlin Philharmonic.
Alcalde is a founding member of the Nonoprojekt from the Fondazione L'Unione Europea in Berlin, whose aim is inspiring young people to reflect upon the idea of freedom, democracy and tolerance through musical programs.
He was Guest Professor of Composition at Barcelona´s Catalonia College of Music (ESMUC) in 2013 and taught at Madrid University Carlos III School of the Arts from 2009 until 2015.