Faculty – Bologna International Opera Academy

Current Faculty

Leone Magiera, Conductor and Pianist

Leone Magiera is a conductor and pianist who is highly in demand as accompanist to the world’s leading vocalists. He began his career as a child prodigy pianist. His studies emphasized vocal accompaniment and singing technique. In addition to building his career as a solo pianist he was engaged by the great conductor Herbert von Karajan to oversee the preparation of the leading singers who were to perform in concert and in opera for the maestro.

Such vocal coaches are often the unheralded heroes of opera houses. Those on the staff of opera houses consult closely with the conductor of an upcoming production, learn his interpretation, and convey it to the singers, assuring the conductor and the house that when the productions are ready for stage rehearsals, the singers will be prepared — their parts fully learned, interpretations largely settled, pronunciations in foreign languages corrected, and trouble spots in the parts smoothed out. The position requires thorough knowledge of vocal production as well as the music in question, and an understanding of the particular strengths and weaknesses of individual singers. All members of an opera company work with the company’s coaches, or répétiteurs, in this manner.

Magiera’s job for Karajan was to undertake the same process with the major singing stars the conductor chose to appear with him. Typically, such stars are not members of individual opera companies, but are freelance and hence are not available to the usual répétiteurs. So Magiera would meet with the singers at times and places of mutual convenience and convey Maestro Karajan’s wishes to them (and not infrequently take back to Karajan any differences between his approach and that of the stars).

Magiera quickly earned a reputation as a master-in-working with singers and many asked him to accompany them as pianist in their recitals: stars such as Renata Scotto, Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Ruggero Raimondi, Mirella Freni, and, most famous of all, Luciano Pavarotti. He has appeared on stage and on records accompanying all of them and has served as conductor in many of their concert appearances. As such, he gained his initial opportunities to work with such great organizations as the Berlin Symphony, the London Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the Berlin Staatsoper, and the Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires. His recordings appear on the EMI, Decca, and Cime-Zync CD and video labels. He conducted the Pavarotti in Hyde Park and Pavarotti in Central Park concerts and recordings. He celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first childhood piano concert with a recording with the Florence Soloists’ Orchestra of Radio Italiana (RAI). The program included a Haydn symphony, his appearance as conductor and soloist in a Mozart piano concerto, and as conductor and pianist in a Mozart concert aria.

Magiera is the artistic director and musical consultant of the “Settembre Musicale” of Modena and the “Club Orpheus” of Rome and is also highly in demand as a teacher of master classes on vocal interpretation.

Stefano Vizioli, Stage Director, 2021–2022, 2024

An internationally recognized director of opera, Stefano Vizioli’s Italian debut took place at the Barga Opera Festival with a production of Impresario delle Canarie by Domenico Sarro in 1979 and has since staged new productions at major theatres and opera houses in Europe. In 2000 he debuted in USA at Philadelphia Opera Company with Italiana in Algeri, with Stephanie Blythe and the American debut of Juan Diego Florez. This production was broadcasted by American television.

Collaborating with outstanding artists and designers and promoting emerging talent, he takes a special interest in contemporary opera, unknown baroque masterpieces and in producing opera for wider audiences.

Opera works in recent seasons have included Forza del Destino at the Municipal de Santiago del Chile, Italiana in Algeri at Teatro Verdi di Trieste, Rigoletto at the NCPA of Beijing, Le Prophète at the Theatre du Capitole of Toulouse, Acis and Galatea at the International Festival of Music of Macao, Trovatore at the Maestranza Theater of Seville, La Dori by Cesti at the Innsbruck Baroque Festival.

He was one of the creators of OperaBhutan, in a production of Acis and Galatea by Handel in the heart of the Himalayas www.operabhutan.com
He went on to create a second cross-cultural project, Japan Orfeo, for the 150th anniversary of bilateral relations between Italy and Japan, which was realised in October 2016, filmed by NHK Television and was honoured by the presence of H.R.H Empress Michiko. Both productions are a part of the project operaESTrema, creation of cross-cultural events that bring together diverse cultures in the name of cultural exchange and friendship www.operaestrema.com

He has directed the first Italian performances of May Night by Rimsky Korsakov, The Devil and Daniel Webster by Douglas Moore and Casanova’s Homecoming by Dominick Argento.

He has directed the revival of Veremonda by Francesco Cavalli at the Spoleto Charleston Festival in 2015, with sets and costumes by the pop artist Ugo Nespolo.

His production of Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, with the set conceived by the famous Italian architect Aldo Rossi, was performed from 1986 to 2010 in the major Italian opera houses and in France.

His production of Barber of Seville (1995 Ferrara Musica, conductor Claudio Abbado) and Don Pasquale (1994 Teatro alla Scala, conductor Riccardo Muti) are still performed all over the world, and many productions were broadcasted by Italian and foreign televisions.

Examples of his works on DVD include: Don Pasquale by Donizetti Scala di Milano, conductor Riccardo Muti, Don Pasquale Teatro di Cagliari conductor Gerard Kostner, Motezuma by Vivaldi conductor Alan Curtis, I due Figaro by Carafa conductor Brad Cohen, Barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini conductor Andrea Battistoni, Madama Butterfly conducted by Larry Gilgore, Luisa Miller by Verdi conducted by Michael Güttler, Il Trovatore by Verdi conducted by Paolo Arrivabeni, Rigoletto by Verdi conducted by Massimo Zanetti.

Renowned contemporary artists and architects have collaborated in realizing sets and costumes: Aldo Rossi (Madama Butterfly), Luigi Veronesi (Midsummer Night’s Dream) Ugo Nespolo (Madama Butterfly, Elisir d’amore, Veremonda, Italiana in Algeri), Gianni Dessì (il Cordovano), Renato Guttuso (Cavalleria Rusticana).

He has been Visiting Professor for the Cincinnati University of Music in the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, the University of Texas.

In October 2016 he became Artistic Director of Teatro Verdi di Pisa.

Stefano Vizioli holds a degree in piano from the Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella in Naples and has produced radio and television programs dealing with the world of Opera.

Stefano Vizioli was a member of the artistic board of the prestigious Accademia Filarmonica Romana and was elected Academic in 1995.

Among the many activities dedicated to social work, Vizioli has directed the opera Amahl and the night visitors by Menotti in the Pagliarelli prison of Palermo.

Laura Cherici, Soprano

Graduated in Singing and Vocal Chamber Music, Laura Cherici made her debut at a very young age at the Teatro Regio in Turin in Der Rosenkavalier by Strass, and then as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro under the baton of Gustav Kuhn. She acted as singer in the main Italian and foreign theaters and festivals, cooperating with famous conductors like S. Accardo, Y. Ahronovitch, G.Antonini, M. Arena, B. Bartoletti, F. Biondi, I. Bolton, S. Cambreling, R.Clemencic, A.Curtis, C.F.Cillario, M. De Bernardt, D.Gatti, G.Gavazzeni, G.Gelmetti, G.Grazioli, T.Guschlbauer, W.Humburg, G.Kuhn, A.Lombard, P. Maag, M. Mariotti, Z.Mehta, R.Muti, G.Noseda, D. Oren, Z. Pesko, S.A. Reck, D. Renzetti, A. Zedda, O. Dantone, J. Webb and directors like G.Cobelli, R.De Simone, G.Proietti, J.Pascoe, M.Placido, Pier’Alli, T.Richter, L.Ronconi, J.Miller, C. Muti, D.Michieletto, F.Zeffirelli.

She performed a large number of roles. We remember Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro ( Turin, Rome, Verona, Düsseldorf, Strasbourg, Genoa), Zerlina in Don Giovanni (Teatro alla Scala – Milan, Turin, Rome, Bologna), Despina in Così fan tutte (Teatro “Lauro Rossi”, Macerata; Teatro dell’Opera, Rome), Berta in Barbiere di Siviglia (Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Corum, Montpellier, Rome, Florence, Bologna,Verona, Turin, Tokyo), Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Pamina and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte (Catania, Genoa, Naples), Lisette in La Rondine (Münich; Sidney Opera House, Rome), Musetta in La Bohème (Teatro dell’Opera Rome). She was Norina Don Pasquale (Strasbourg, Bergamo,Brescia) Elisetta Matrimonio segreto, Melanto Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria (Firenze, Atene), Drusilla L’incoronazione di Poppea (Scala Milano, Cremona, Firenze, Recklinghausen), Checca and Vannella Il Flaminio and Lo frate’nnamorato of Pergolesi (Festival Pergolesi Spontini), Kristina Il caso Makropulos (Torino, Napoli), Teutile in Motezuma (Teatro Sao Carlos, Lisbona; Festival dei Due Mondi, Spoleto, Bilbao, Ferrara, Piacenza, Modena). She sang Lucilla in La Scala di Seta ed Eurilla nell’Orlando paladino (Concertgebouw, Amsterdam) and Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence, Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari and Teatro San Carlo, Naples, Teatro Massimo Palermo), Mrs. Grose in“The Turn of the Screw” di B.Britten.

She was involved in several worldwide premieres in the field of contemporary repertoire: Vite Immaginarie, La Lupa, Vita, Il gatto con gli stivali, Federico II by Marco Tutino, Canzoni d’amore by Lorenzo Ferrero, Amin by Matteo D’Amico, Rimini addio! by Carlo Boccadoro, La brocca rotta by Flavio Testi, La Tempesta by Carlo Galante, A Streetcar named desire by André Previn (Steven Mercurio, conductor; Giorgio Gallione, director; Teatro Regio, Turin).

She has strong interest in the vocal chamber music repertoire and she gave many recitals as “Rocklied” (alla ricerca del classico nel pop) with songs, among others, by Beatles, Lennox, Wonder, Al Jarreau and “Suono, Sogno, Swing”, with music by Porter and Gershwin, with Antonio Ballista, “Kaleidoscope-I mille colori della musica dal Barocco al Musica” with Massimo Giuseppe Bianchi and “ Love Passion and Springtime” with Nicola Ventrella.

In 2009 she received the “Gianni Poggi” award for her performance as Teutile in “Motezuma”, opera written by Antonio Vivaldi.

In June 2019 she was one of the protagonist of the successful tour in Japan with the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in The barber of Seville and Rigoletto.

She has recorded Cd’s and Dvd’s for Decca, Deutsche Grammophone, Dynamic, Forlane, Sony Classical, Sony Deutsche Armonia Mundi, Unitel Classica, Virgin Classic, Vergin Veritas.

She is a singing Professor and taught to the “Giuseppe Martucci” Conservatoire in Salerno, “Niccolò Piccini” in Bari, “Gesualdo da Venosa” in Potenza, ISSM “Claudio Monteverdi” Cremona,”G.B.Martini Bologna”. She was invited as first VISITING GUEST PROFESSOR at the Opera Department of the “Niccolò Piccinni” Conservatoire in Bari with a Workshop on the vocal repertoire of the Baroque Period. Currently teaches at the Conservatoire “Cesare Pollini” in Padova.

She held Masterclasses in Italy and Finland.
She wrote the book “Exercises for vocal warm-up and training ”– Ut Orpheus Editori (2021)

Nicoletta Conti, Conductor, Collaborative piano, Founder BIOA

Born in Bologna, Nicoletta Conti studied pianoforte, composition and conducting at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan and the Conservatorio di Musica G.B. Martini in Bologna. She also graduated from the University of Bologna in Musical Aesthetics at DAMS (disciplines of art, music and drama), Faculty of Literature and Philosophy at the University of Bologna, Musicology (with the equivalent of a Master’s Degree). She went on to continue her studies in conducting with Franco Ferrara (Siena), Leopold Hager (Salzburg), Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa and Kurt Masur(Tanglewood).

Winner of numerous prizes, including, inter alia, the First Prize Musica da Camera “Città di Stresa”, the Third Prize at Nicolai Malko for Orchestra Conductors (Copenhagen), she began her career as a conductor in Italy and abroad, dedicating herself both to the operatic and symphonic repertoire.

Following the conductor’s course held by Leonard Bernstein at l’Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, she was chosen by Maestro Bernstein to be his assistant conductor and to make her debut with the “ Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia”.

At the Capitol she received the prestigious Minerva Prize for the arts, the first Italian musician to be awarded it. In 2006 she received the honour of “Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana” by the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. She has since collaborated with important festivals and theatres, including Covent Garden, Teatro Comunale in Florence, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Rossini Opera Festival, and the Festival of the Itria Valley. She combines her operatic work with a concert career, and has appeared alongside Luciano Pavarotti, Renato Bruson, Leo Nucci, and Daniela Dessì. Orchestras she has conducted include: Orchestra Arturo Toscanini, Orchestra of the Arena di Verona, the Tanglewood Music Festival Orchestra, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, the Kiushu Symphony Orchestra, the Hungarian Symphonic Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Ferrara, Orchestra da Camera di Bologna, Orchestra “I Filarmonici di Bologna”, Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino, Rishon Le Tzion Orchestra, Orchestra “I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano”, Stuttgarter Filarmoniker. Most recentley she has conducted Don Giovanni by Gazzaniga at the Teatro Regio di Torino, two contemporary operas in their premièeres oerformances at the Festival Mozart di Rovereto and at Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Nabucco and Madama Butterfly in the Beppe De Tomasi production at Teatro di Ascoli Piceno and Teatro di Fano.

In August 2000 she assisted Maestro Antonio Pappano in London for the recording of the CD and film of Tosca with the Orchestra of Covent Garden. Maestro Conti received great acclaim when she conducted Madama Butterfly at the International Festival at Montepulciano. In August 2001 Maestro Conti assisted Maestro Pappano with the London Symphony Orchestra for the recording of Il Trovatore and most recently conducted a concert in Lisbon with Angela Gheorghiu.

Most recently she has conducted the Orchestra of Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the Israel Symphony Orchestra of Rishon LeZion, the Haydn Orchestra in Bolzano, the Verdi Orchestra in Milan, a production of “La Tragédie de Carmen” with the direction of Franco Ripa di Meana. In 2009 Nicoletta Conti conducted the annual concert for the European Parliament. Nicoletta conducts regularly in Japan. In March 2010 Nicoletta was selected as one of the three candidates for the position of Director of Orchestral activities at Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. This season, she will conduct Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera Sai Company in Tokyo and she will give a talk about Lucia di Lammermoor at the Italian Institute of Culture in Tokyo.

Peter Danailov, Baritone

“A typical belcanto singer possessing a deep and unusual baritone timbre, full of nuances, which changes the expressiveness through its vocal interpretation from furious to lyric sounding”. This is how the German critics extol Peter Danailov.

Peter Danailov’s first appearances on the professional stage are related to the Varna Opera Theater. In March 1998, he specialized in the master class of Ghena Dimitrova organized in Sofia. In November, he performed with Ghena Dimitrova at her bestowing and wins the prestigious award “Lira d’argento” from the Opera Union “Amici del belcanto” in Vienna, Austria. He has also been her frequent partner in many performances and concerts through the years. Continuing that year, he performed several opera parts at Sofia National Opera and Ballet such as: Rodrigo in “Don Carlos” by Verdi, De Serie in “Fedora” by Giordano, Figaro in “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini, Valentine in “Faust” by Charles Gounod, Escamillo in “Carmen”, etc. In the summer of 1999 the singer performed the part of Prince Igor in the homonymous opera by Borodin in the co-production of the Sofia National Opera and Bolshoy Theater – Moscow, within the traditional Opera at the Square show.

Peter Danailov has been a soloist of the Opera Theatre in Bonn, Germany where he was lead baritone and turned into a favorite of the audience. At this stage, he made a debut with a triumphant success in the roles of Macbeth from the opera of the same name by Verdi, Shishkov from “The Deadly Home” by Leos Janacek, Don Carlos di Vargas from “La Forza del Destino” by Verdi and Eugene Onegin from the opera with the same name by Tchaikovsky.

He has been invited for two consecutive seasons (2005-2006, 2006-2007) at the Staatsoper Hamburg, Germany for the roles of Giorgio Germont in “La Traviata” by Verdi and Sharpless in “Madame Butterfly” by Puccini. During the season 2006-2007 he also performed Nabucco in the opera with the same name by Verdi on SAP Arena – Mannheim, as well as Rigoletto in Braunschweig, Germany. It is for seven consecutive seasons that the Bulgarian baritone has been a guest soloist of the Opera Theatre in Klagenfurt, Austria for the performances of Don Carlos (Rodrigo), La Boheme (Marcello), L’italiana in Algeri (Taddeo), Lucia di Lammermour (Lord Ashton), La Traviata (Giorgio Germont).
His performances had a big success at the Toscana Opera Festival in Italy, where during the years he participated in “La traviata” /2001/, “Pagliacci”/2006/, “Cavalleria rusticana”/2006/, “Il barbiere di Siviglia”/2008/ and “Carmen” /2008/. Peter Danailov is a frequent guest of the “Auditorium” in Palma de Mallorca where in 2002 he sang “La traviata”, in 2007 – “Carmen”, “Il barbiere di Siviglia”, in 2008 – “Carmen”, “La traviata” and “Tosca”.

Except his regular monthly performances as a soloist at the Sofia National Opera House, some of his most important performances are: two concerts at SAP Arena Mannheim, Germany, a performance as baron Scarpia in “Tosca” by Puccini as well as two concerts at the National Opera House Kishinev – Moldova in September 2009 and in “Rigoletto” at the Astra Opera Theater in Malta in October the same year. Peter Danailov has been a guest performer many times in England, Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland, Switzerland and Greece. From his cantata-oratorio works, his repertoire features the baritone parts from “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff, “Deutsche Requiem” by Brahms and “Matheus Passion” by Bach. He is the winner of the First Prize, Gold Medal and the Award of the Audience at the International Competition for Young Opera Singers “Boris Christov” in Sofia, in 2000. He has recorded for the Bulgarian National Radio and the National Television.

Mr. Danailov has been a judge of numerous international vocal competitions such as “Neue Stimmen” and “Romansiada”. Currently he is the vocal pedagogue of the State Opera – Plovdiv.

Guenko Guechev, Bass-Baritone, Founder BIOA

Guenko Guechev is an internationally renowned Bass-Baritone. He has taken his natural aptitude for music and his gift of language-fluency and applied them with fervor to the specialty of 19th and early 20th century operatic interpretive vocal styles. He has appeared internationally in more than 1000 opera performances.

Professor Guechev was born in Bulgaria. He received his bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Performance from the Sofia State Conservatory of Music. After graduation, he continued his vocal study at the “Tchaikovsky Conservatory” in Moscow, Russia. He was chosen from hundreds of young singers to study with the legendary operatic bass Boris Christoff in Rome, Italy.

Professor Guechev instantaneously became known and sought after. He performed leading roles in productions of Carmen, Nabucco, Boris Godunov, Don Giovanni, Barbiere di Seviglia, Aleko, Macbeth, and I Puritani with every major Bulgarian opera company. Since then Mr. Guechev’s career has grown internationally. He has sung leading bass roles in productions of Il Trovatore, La Boheme, Tosca, La Traviata, and Un Ballo in Maschera, Macbeth, Boris Godunov in the countries of Austria (at the Salzburg Festspielhaus), Germany (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin), Switzerland, Greece, Belgium & the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland.

In 1999 Guenko Guechev’s made his US opera debut in Verdi’s Rigoletto with the Pittsburgh Opera. He has also appeared in Lortzing’s Tzar und Zimmerman, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and Britten’s Albert Herring with Opera Delaware, Opera Syracuse and Natchez Opera Festival.

Recently Mr. Guechev has performed solo recital in memory of the great basso Boris Christoff in Washington DC and the role of Rabbi Azriel in the multi-media opera Dybbuk by the Israeli-American composer Ofer Ben-Amots at the Pittsburgh Jewish Festival. He has released on CD with the Gega New Classical label the “Songs and Dances of Death” by Mousorgsky and “Michelangelo Suite op. 145” by Schostakovich and the CD “Nostalgia” with songs by Peter Tschaikovsky and Gorgiy Sviridov. He was featured on the CD “Russian Jewish Classic” with songs by the composer Leo Zeitlin, released by Toccata Classics label in 2015.

Professor Guechev is a tenured associate professor of voice and former chair of voice and director of opera at the Mary Pappert School of Music in Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In his voice studio professor Guechev works with the students on fundamental vocal technique and wide area of vocal and operatic repertoire. His true passion and expertise is in developing and guidance of substantial operatic voices capable of singing Verdi, Puccini and Wagner.

His students Ekaterina Shcherbachenko, Andrey Nemzer and Alianna Whiteaker-Chudecke won prices in many prestigious international competitions like Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions, Placido Domingo’s Operalia, Gerda Lissner Foundation competition, Cardiff’s singer of the world-international voice competition and the Fiorenza Cossotto International Voice competition.

As the director of the Duquesne University Opera 2003-2017, prof. Guechev produced and directed a wide range of fully staged operas in collaboration with Duquesne University Symphony Orchestra including Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten, The Medium/The Telephone by Giancarlo Menotti, Cavaleria Rusticana and Zanetto by Pietro Mascani, Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, La Finta Giardiniera, The Magic Flute, by W.A. Mozart, Mavra by Stravinsky, The Dialogue of the Carmelites by Francis Poulenc, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini, La Serva Padrona by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Il Matrimonio Segreto by Domenico Cimarosa.

Since 2007 professor Guechev has given numerous masterclasses in China at the Central Conservatory of Music and China Conservatory in Beijing, Xian Conservatory of Music, Minzu University of China, East China Normal University, Jinan University and Qingdao University Conservatory of Music.

Prof. Guechev is the founder and Chairman of the board of the Euro Atlantic Art Foundation, CEO of the Phoenix Art Network ltd. 2014-2019, Director of Education of Inter Atlantic Music Foundation 2002-2013, Founder and faculty of Duquesne Lirica Roma 2009-2015, Puldin Operatic Summer Academy 2002-2004, Founder and Director of Puldin International Opera Competition 2002-2006, Fiorenza Cossotto International Voice Competition 2016/2017, Bologna International Opera Academy for young artists in Bologna, Italy 2016-present.

Xiu-ru Liu, Mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Xiu-ru Liu was born in China. She graduated with distinction from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Beverly Sills called Xiu-ru a “true mezzo” after listening to her sing a solo during a master’s class in China. Ms. Sills urged Xiu-ru to enhance her studies and talents in the United States. Xiu-ru received a full scholarship from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where she successfully earned her Masters degree and Performance Certificate.

“Her magnificent voice, along with her dramatic ability makes her one of the most sought after mezzos”, as quoted by one advocate. Xiu-ru has appeared as Ramiro in La finta Giardiniera, Endimione in La Calisto, Arnata in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Azucena in Il Trovatore, Ulrika in Un Ballo in Maschera, Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Erda in Das Rheingold, Philipievna in Eugene Onegin, and Amneris in Aida with European and American opera companies. She has consistently exceeded expectations and astounded audiences in numerous prestigious cities, such as Salzburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, London, Paris, Zurich, Luxemburg, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Chicago, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

A devoted soloist accompanied by orchestra and oratorio societies throughout the United States and abroad, Xiu-ru performed the Verdi’s Requiem, Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody, Mozart’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Durufle’s Requiem, and Bach’s B Minor Mass, St. Matthew Passion. Xiu-ru’s sincere sophistication and elegant artistry has tremendously influenced and delighted audiences and music critics alike. “Ms. Liu reveals a world of emotions with just a glance…mesmerizing as Suzuki”, Opera Review, May 2000. “A fiery, vengeful Azucena, a level of vocal color and musical discrimination rarely heard”, Ira Schwarz. “Ms. Liu added a sympathetic presence to Filippyevna’s every appearance” Opera News, Feb 1999. “Magnificent voice…her dramatic ability created a wonderful feeling of pathos”, Otaria, vol II #4.

Mrs. Liu is a devoted educator and internationally renowned voice teacher. She has given master-classes and private voice lessons not only in the United States, but in Europe and Asia as well. Mrs. Liu serves as a judge at the Puldin International Voice Competition held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She also has appeared on National TV’s live broadcast from Crystal Cathedral, Los Angeles singing sacred songs. In 2007 she joined the Duquesne University voice faculty. Many of her students successfully furthered their vocal studies in masters and doctoral programs in prestigious music institution like Manhattan School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, just to name a few.

Francesco Ricci, Vocal Coach, Piano

Francesco Ricci began studying the piano at the age of ten under the guidance of Maestro Paolo Dirani and graduated from the «G.B. Martini »of Bologna in 1997; at the same time he attended the faculty of astronomy at the University of Bologna to graduate in 2002 with full marks and honors. In 2003 he graduated in the three-year experimental course for “Substitute Master and collaborator”. In 2011 he obtained a specialist degree in “Piano” at the Conservatory of Bologna, under the guidance of Maestro Bruna Bruno, with 110 cum laude and honorable mention.

From 2003 to today he has collaborated as an accompanist pianist and collaborator teacher in various Italian musical and theatrical institutions, as well as a pianist in various chamber ensembles. He has played for the Teatro Grande Foundation of Brescia, the Arena Foundation of Verona, the Municipal Theater of Bologna, the Bologna Festival, the International Art Site of Montepulciano. He was master collaborator for the theaters of Bologna, Pisa, Livorno, Lucca, Chieti, Lugo. He was pianist and accompanist for the “Conservatory of Bologna”, for the “Collegium musicum”, the “Bernstein School of Music Theater”, the “Stage Entertainment”, and collaborates on a regular basis with the tenor M ° Fernando Cordeiro Opa. In 2010 he was solo pianist with the Bologna Municipal Orchestra for the “Concert of August 2”. Pianist with a very large repertoire (classical, opera, musical, jazz), with excellent sight reading; he also has experience as a continuist on the harpsichord and as an arranger.

Svetla Vassileva, Soprano

Svetla Vassileva performs regularly at La Scala in Milan, Arena in Verona, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, La Bastille in Paris, the Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, as well as at the opera houses Tokyo, Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mexico, Saint Petersburg, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, Seattle, Oslo, Copenhagen, Rome, Naples, Montecarlo, Venice and many others.

Her repertoire includes Manon Lescaut, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Adriana Lecouvreur, Andrea Chenier, La Fanciulla del West, Don Carlo, Il Trovatore, Giovanna D’Arco, Attila, Rusalka, The Queen of Spade, Eugene Onegin, Francesca da Rimini.

She regularly collaborates with maestros as Bruno Bartoletti, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Chailly, Daniele Gatti, Kent Nagano, Yutaka Sardo, Gianandrea Noseda, George Prêtre, Anton Guadagno, Pinchas Steinberg, Yuri Temirkanov, Vladimir Jurowski, Gianluigi Gelmetti , and directors as Hugo De Ana, Gilbert Deflo, Jean-Louis Grinda, Nicolas Joel, Davide Livermore, David McVicar, Marta Domingo and movie directors as Franco Zefirelli, Liliana Cavani, Cristina Comencini, Jean Reno, Gabriele Lavia.

Ms. Vassileva recently performed in the title role of Madama Butterfly at the Opéra National de Paris, at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, and in Marseille; Elvira in a new production of Ernani at the Opera in Monte Carlo; Desdemona in Otello at the la Cité de la Musique in Paris; Hanna Glawary in Die Lustige Witwe at the Teatro Regio in Turin; Tosca (title role) at the Opera Australia, at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Masada, Genoa, Cagliari, Trieste, Bologna, Düsseldorf and Parma; Adriana Lecouvreur at the San Carlo in Naples and in Karlsruhe; Don Carlos in Genoa; Andrea Chénier in Salerno; Manon Lescaut in Tokyo; La Fanciulla del West (Minnie) at the Lirico di Cagliari and in Copenhagen; Il Trovatore and La forza del destino at the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv; La Traviata at the Hamburgische Staatsoper; Andrea Chénier in Bari; Il Trovatore in Tokyo; Suor Angelica (title role) in Lucca; Aida (title role) for the opening night of the season at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa; italian premier of Gomes’ Lo Schiavo (Ilàra) in Cagliari for the season opening night at the Teatro Lirico.

Plans include Un ballo in maschera (Amelia) in Beijiing and Andrea Chénier (Maddalena) in Trieste.

Past Faculty

Alfonso Antoniozzi, Baritone, Stage Director, 2017-2020

Alfonso Antoniozzi is an internationally acclaimed Italian baritone and opera director. Trained by the master Sesto Bruscantini, Antoniozzi has performed on such esteemed stages as La Scala, Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Berliner Staatsoper, Paris Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Concertgebouw in Amersterdam, the National Academy of Santa Cecilia, & San Fransico Opera, and many more all over the globe.

His vast repertoire includes the array of Buffo operas by Rossini & Donizetti, Verdi’s Falstaff, Puccini’s title role in Gianni Schicchi, Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Cosi fan tutte & Don Giovanni. The Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, hails Antoniozzi as “…the best Italian buffo baritone.” Some of his memorable performances include Don Geronio in Il Turco in Italia, Figaro in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (at the Metropolitan Opera with Bruno Campanella & at the Arena di Verona with Claudio Scimone), Don Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (at la Scala with Riccardo Chailly), Fra Melito in La forza del destino (at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia with Valery Gergiev & also at La Scala with Riccardo Muti) & Don Deep in Il Viaggio a Reims (in Genoa under the direction of Dario Fo). Antoniozzi debuted a new production of Poulenc’s Les mamelles de Tirésias at the Macerata Opera Festival’s Lauro Rossi Theatre conducted by Pier Luigi Pizzi. In Rome & Palermo, he has also performed the four villain roles found in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffman.

The 2009-2010 opera season featured Antoniozzi’s long awaited debut in Puccini’s Tosca as Scarpia (Trento & Rovigo houses), followed by Don Pasquale (in Zurich), Barber of Seville (Hamburg State Opera) & a tour with Ensemble Matheus & L’elisir d’amore (at the Staatsoper in Berlin & in Beijing). Antoniozzi’s modern operatic repertoire includes Bernstein’s Candide (in Santa Cecilia with Jeffrey Tate), Benjamin Britten’s Death in Venice (in Genoa & Florence with Bruno Bartoletti) & The straw hat of Florence at La Scala (in Turin with Bruno Campanella). He has received unanimous praise by audiences and critics alike for his interpretation of Nino Rota’s Naples millionaire! (at the Festival della Valle d’Itria). In 2008, Antoniozzi made his directorial debut at the Tuscia Opera Festival with a new production of The Barber of Seville. In May of 2009, he also edited and directed a new production of Don Pasquale at the Teatro Comunale di Bologa. He also directed a new production of La Traviata at Teatro Comunale di Bologna, which was met with great success.

Alfonso Antoniozzi then returned to the stage singing in L’elisir d’amore at the Zurich Opera and the Staatsoper in Berlin and The Barber of Seville Tel Aviv and Lima. In recent seasons, he has played Matilde di Shabran at Covent Garden, Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Adriana Lecouvreur at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, Cosi fan tutte and Don Giovanni at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona and at the Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia, La Cenerentola at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and La fille du regiment in Savonlinna (in a touring production with the Teatro Comunale di Bologna), Cosi fan tutte at the Municipal Theatre of Piacenza and the Opera of Oviedo, Don Pasquale at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Cosi fan tutte at the Glyndebourne Festival, Falstaff at the Teatro Regio in Turin, La Cenerentola at the Opéra de Montpellier and at the Liceu in Barcelona, The Italian Girl in Algiers at the Zurich Opera & The Barber of Seville in Hamburg.

His illustrious discography includes recordings of La Bohème (EMI), Mr. Bruschino and our Sea (Ricordi / Fonit Cetra), The three lovers and Don Procopio (Bongiovanni), The Secret Marriage, Nina, or is mad for love and Linda Chamounix (Arts Records), The marriage of Figaro (Telarc), & The romance and the black man by Donizetti (Opera Rara). Antoniozzi can also be seen on DVD performing The Barber of Seville at the Teatro Regio di Parma and La Cenerentola at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. Antoniozzi is also a performer in televised productions from Teatro alla Scala (La Turca in Italia, The Barber of Seville and The straw hat of Florence).

Fabio Armiliato, Tenor, 2017, 2018

Fabio Armiliato is one of the most important tenors on the international opera scene, acclaimed for
his voice, his high register and connate musicality, his dramatic performances and the charisma which defines his characters. He was born in Genoa where he graduated from, the Niccolò Paganini
Conservatoire. His debut in Simon Boccanegra of Verdi made his career start quickly and led to some of the most important roles at several famous opera houses of the word, such as the Metropolitan
Opera House of New York, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, L’Opéra de Paris, the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, Teatro Real in Madrid and the Wiener Staatsoper.

He is considered passioned and exciting, thanks to his performances as Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, for which he’s considered the tenor of most recall. He has had great success in many opera houses and opera companies including Arena of Verona, Teatro Real in Madrid, the Fenice of Venice and the Opera of Rome’s very important Japanese tour. As Mario Cavaradossi he came back to sing at La Scala, conducted by Lorin Maazel, and to the Royal Opera House of Covent Garden in London, under Antonio Pappano’s baton.

Among several successes during these last seasons, mostly important is his debut in La forza del destino at the Opéra of Monte Carlo, La Fanciulla del West in Rome (His unforgettable encore of Ch’ella mi creda during the 1st performance) and Tosca at Caracalla, where he celebrates 20 years since his debut at Caracalla. Between 2009-2010 he starred in Turandot, at the completely re-built Petruzzelli-Theatre in Bari. He performed also with enormous success and unanimous ovation the role of Rodolfo in Luisa Miller at the Opernhaus in Zürich. Then, he was the main male character in a new production of La Fanciulla del West, at the Puccini Festival, for the 100th anniversary of this opera. The 2011 season started with the expected and great debut in Otello at the Opera Royal de Wallonie in Liége. After this, he received the 1st Tito Schipa International Award on August 3rd in Ostuni as well as honorary citizenship of Recanati, in the name of Beniamino Gigli. Fabio Armiliato is also one of the main actors of Woody Allen’s movie, “To Rome With Love”, which was released in June 2012.

Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Soprano, 2018, 2020

Dramatic soprano Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet has established herself as a leading force in the German and contemporary repertoires. Having begun her singing Italian and ‘spinto’ Russian roles, she has naturally progressed into the more dramatic German soprano – and more recently ‘Zwischenfach’ – repertoire. Her intense stage presence has been widely praised by critics, with the New York Times proclaiming her a ‘spine-chillingly powerful’ performer. Recent performances include the title role of Ariane et Barbe-bleue for Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg. Future engagements include Herodias for the Deutsche Oper Berlin in a new production conducted by Maestro Runnicles, and she will repeat the role for the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg.

Recent highlights include the 2012 release as the title role in Strauss’ Elektra with the London Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Valery Gergiev; the title role of Ariane et Barbe-bleue in Barcelona and Dijon; Judith in Bluebeard’s Castle for Nantes, Angers, and Paris; Leonore in Fidelio at the Teatro San Carlo; Katerina Izmailova in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk for the Florence May Festival and Teatro Municipal Santiago; Goneril in King Lear for Frankfurt, Elektra for Deutsche Oper Berlin, Edinburgh International Festival, and LSO under Maestro Valery Gergiev; and Cassandre in Les Troyens for Opéra National de Paris.

In Europe, Charbonnet has appeared at major opera houses including the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona; Opéra National de Paris; Teatro Real, Madrid; Oper Frankfurt; Opéra National de Bordeaux; Deutsche Oper Berlin; Teatro Comunale di Firenze; Teatro La Fenice; and Bregenz Festival. Her major roles include Ortrud in Lohengrin, which she has sung for both Frankfurt and Dallas Opera, Kundry in Parsifal, Venus in Tannhäuser for Geneva and Toulouse, Sieglinde in Die Walküre, and Brünnhilde in Der Ring des Nibelungen, both for the Opéra National du Rhin. Her portrayal of Isolde was described in Opera magazine as ‘every inch the passionate Irish princess, at first a bundle of fury, then wholly possessed by the love potion. Her soprano smouldered hotly below, blazed thrillingly on high.’

Charbonnet’s concert repertoire includes Schoenberg’s Erwartung with Jukka-Pekka Saraste in Cologne, and Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with Pierre Boulez at the BBC Proms. Engagements in the 2013-14 season included role debuts as Kostelnička in Jenůfa for La Monnaie, Brussels, and the Mother in Il Prigioniero in Barcelona, as well as Erwartung with Susanna Mälkki in Amsterdam. Looking further ahead, Charbonnet will add roles to her repertoire including Klytemnestra in Elektra, and Amneris in Aida.

Deda Cristina Colonna, Stage Director, 2023

Deda Cristina Colonna is a director and choreographer and her repertoire of choice is opera of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and contemporary opera. Her style is deeply influenced by her own stage experience as dancer and actress, with a specific expertise in baroque dance, rhetorical gesture and historically informed acting . Based on historically informed stage practice, her direction seeks contact with today’s audience through a modern style, also influenced by acting and contemporary theatre. Deda Cristina Colonna graduated in ballet at Civico Istituto Musicale Brera (Novara) and École Supérieure d’Etudes Chorégraphiques (Paris). She graduated from the Sorbonne, specializing in Renaissance and Baroque dance. Later she graduated from the Acting School of Teatro Stabile di Genoa and later acted in productions ranging from Shakespeare to Cechov and Genet in Italy, France and Germany. She worked with the company Theater der Klänge (Düsseldorf) and was a soloist and guest choreographer with the New York Baroque Dance Company.

She has staged and choreographed numerous titles, including: Ottone in Villa by A. Vivaldi (Copenhagen Opera Festival: nominated for the Reumert Award in Copenhagen as best opera in 2014), Il Giasone by A. Cavalli and Il Matrimonio Segreto by D. Cimarosa (Drottningholm Slottsteater), L’Incoronazione di Poppea by C. Monteverdi and Gesualdo-Shadows by the contemporary composer Bo Holten (Copenhagen Royal Opera / Takkelloftet), the choreography Fortuna Desperata with Francesco Vezzoli and David Hallberg (opening of Performa, New York 2015), Didone Abandonata by L. Vinci (Opera di Firenze / Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), Armide by J.B. Lully (Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik / Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Warszawska Opera Kameralna, winner of the Olsnienia Roku Prize: Best Choreography 2017 and Giuseppe Di Stefano International Award 2018, Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires 2019), La Fiera di Venezia by A. Salieri (SWR Schwetzinger Festspiele), L’Europa by G. Melani (Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci), Il Giustino by A. Vivaldi (Naestved Early Music Festival), Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria by C. Monteverdi (Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza), Le Nozze di Figaro by W.A. Mozart and Il Barbiere di Siviglia by G. Rossini (Auditorio de Palma de Mallorca 2017, 2019), Lesbina e Milo (Teatro G.B. Pergolesi, Jesi 2020), Nina, pazza per amore by G. Paisiello, Comala by P. Morandi and Zebran by T. Monnakgotla (2016, 2021 Vadstena Akademien – Stockholm), Il castello di Barbablù by B. Bartok (Teatro Coccia, Novara and Teatro G.B. Pergolesi, Jesi 2021), Il Trovatore by G. Verdi (Teatro G.B. Pergolesi Jesi, Teatro Coccia Novara, Teatro Sociale Rovigo, Teatro M. Dal Monaco Treviso 2022-2023), Juditha Triumphans by A. Vivaldi (Teatro Verdi Pisa, Teatro Ponchielli Cremona 2023).

She has created and performed original works, including Voluptas Dolendi – I Gesti del Caravaggio, Sidereus Nuncius- Galileo e la Luna and Alltid Densamme with harpist Mara Galassi. She has been teaching baroque dance, gesture and acting for over 25 years and has held courses and masterclasses in various institutions. in Italy and abroad. In 2014 she was Guest Visiting Professor at the University of Stockholm / Performing Premodernity.

She was the Director of the Dance School of Civico Istituto Musicale Brera in Novara from 2008 to 2013.

Her research in Baroque dance was published in the proceedings of various international conferences and in the specialized press. She is the Director of the Dance School of Accademia G. Marziali in Seveso, Italy (2021). She teaches Gesture and Historical Acting Techniques at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (2021). She teaches Stage Direction for Musical Theatre at Accademia A.M.O., Teatro Coccia, Novara.

She was awarded the Jan Kiepura 2022 prize as best director for the staging and choreography of ‘Castor et Pollux’ by J.-Ph. Rameau (Warszawska Opera Kameralna, 2021).

She is the President of the cultural association La Terza Prattica, with which she creates shows, concerts and works through and beyond the philological approach of the early repertoire.

Deda Cristina Colonna is a member of Accademia degli Intermedi, an Italian study group on early dance and of WoVen, reserach group, at NTNU University, Trondheim.

She works in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish.

Alessandro Corbelli, Baritone, 2019

Alessandro Corbelli is one of the most prominent baritones of the modern era, his refined bass style ideal for many of the comic roles that he has been so well-known for. Born on Sept. 21, 1952, the bass has become one of the great “Don Pasquale,” Dulcamara, and “Gianni Schicchi” interpreters of recent times. Since his debut at the early age of 22, he has become an outstanding exponent of the bel canto and Mozart roles for baritone.

Corbelli was born in Turin to a music-loving family. He studied singing with Giuseppe Valdengo and Claude Thiolas. Early appearances included roles in Mozart’s Da Ponte operas for La Scala, Milan, under Riccardo Muti. Corbelli has gone on to specialize in the music of Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti. Roles in other repertories include Ford and Falstaff (Falstaff), Sancho Panza (Don Quichotte), Marcello (La bohème), Gianni Schicchi and Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress). He has sung in all the major opera houses: La Scala since 1989 in Cosi fan Tutte,Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, la Cenerentola, Le ComteOry, Lodoiska, Fedora. : Covent Garden in L’Italiana in Algeri, La Cenerentola, Cosi fan Tutte ,Don Pasquale, Turco in Italia , La Fille du Regiment, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Adriana Lecouvreur .Paris Opera in La Cenerentola, L’Italiana in Algeri, Cosi fan Tutte, Madam Butterfly, Gianni Schicchi and La Fille du Regiment : Vienna Staatsoper in Cosi fan Tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, I Puritani and La Cenerentola Since his debut at the Metropolitan opera in 1997 in La Cenerentola,(Dandini) he has returned regularly for L’Italiana in Algeri., L’Elisir d’Amore, Gianni Schicchi and La Cenerentola (Don Magnifico).

He has also sung in Munich, Cologne, Geneva, Madrid, Barcelona,Toulouse, Rome, Naples, Bologna, Florence, Turin as well as at such important festivals as Edinburgh, Salzburg and the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. He made his first appearance at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1985 as Dandini in La Cenerentola, returning for Leporello in Don Giovanni, new productions of Gianni Schicchi, and Don Pasquale.

Alessandro Corbelli made his Royal Opera House debut in 1988 as Taddeo (L’italiana in Algeri). He has since sung Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Michele (Elisabetta), Dandini and Don Magnifico (La Cenerentola), Malatesta and Don Pasquale (Don Pasquale), Don Geronio (Il turco in Italia), Sulpice Pingot (La Fille du régiment), Doctor Bartolo (Il barbiere di Siviglia), the Marquis of Boisfleury (Linda di Chamonix in concert) and Michonnet (Adriana Lecouvreur) for The Royal Opera.

Corbelli is increasingly active as a teacher and has given masterclasses for the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House. His recordings include DVDs of Don Pasquale (Glyndebourne), Adriana Lecouvreur, La Fille du régiment and Il barbiere di Siviglia (Royal Opera) and several CDs of Rossini operas.

He has received many awards, including the prestigious Premio Abbiati della Critica for Leporello in Don Giovanni at La Scala and the premio Rossini d’Oro for Don Geronio in Il Turco in Italia in Pesaro.

Luis Ledesma, Baritone, 2021–2022

Mr. Ledesma is on the voice faculties of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and the Curtis Institute of Music and has been building teaching affiliations internationally for over a decade. In Mexico, he has worked with singers at the University of Sonora, Conservatorio Nacional de Mexico, Escuela Superior de Musica in Monterrey, Universidad de Puebla, Universidad de Monterrey, and Universidad Michoacana in Morelia. He continues to work with young artists in San Pedro de Cholula and through his efforts many young singers have been introduced to prestigious institutions throughout the United States and in Europe. Mr. Ledesma was the artist in residence for Oberlin in italy and Emerging Artists voice instructor and continues to give many master classes around the world which already includes Mexico, Canada (L’Opera de Montreal), Italy, Dominican Republic, Germany (Lyric Opera Studio Weimar), China (University of Peking and Shanghai Conservatory of Music) and the US (Lafayette University).

Mexican baritone Luis Ledesma has established a reputation as a “rich and well controlled baritone” (Opera News). He frequently portrays the heroes and villains of Puccini, Verdi and the bel canto masters, as well as roles in recent new works in Spanish including Florencia en el Amazonas and El pasado nunca se termina. His operatic and concert career has advanced in Europe, the United States and South America and includes theaters such as Teatro alla Scala (Luisa Fernanda), the Liceu in Barcelona (Alphonse in La favorite, Riccardo in I puritani and Marcello in La bohème), Klangbogen Festival in Vienna (Leoncavallo’s La bohème), Wexford Festival (Don Pasquale), Teatro Municipal de Santiago (Escamillo), Semperoper in Dresden (Marcello), several roles for Koeln Oper (including Don Carlo and Germont), Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires (Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia), Bellas Artes in Mexico City (Marcello, Germont, and Escamillo ), Macau Festival (Sharpless), Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos (Marcello), Graz Oper (Escamillo), L’opera de Montreal (Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West), Manitoba Opera (Escamillo), Opera Lyra Ottawa (Tonio), the Philadelphia Orchestra (Marcello in a concert version of La bohème and Beethoven Nine) and the Savonlinna Opera Festival (Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and Escamillo), Bucharest National Opera (Scarpia) and Hungarian StateOpera (Alfio and Tonio).

In the United States, Mr. Ledesma has sung with many companies, including Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, Arizona Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Atlanta Opera, Santa Barbara Opera, Anchorage Opera, Santo Domingo, Madison Opera, Nashville Opera, Portland Opera, Indianapolis and Connecticut Opera, Opera Pacific, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Carolina, Memphis Opera, San Antonio Opera, New Jersey Opera, Minnesota Opera, Florentine Opera, and Hawaii Opera. He also sang two tours with Andrea Bocelli, performing in famous venues such as Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl, Hard Rock Café in Hollywood, Florida, and the Auditorio Nacional Mexico City.

Mr. Ledesma made his Carnegie Hall debut in the Faure Requiem and returned for Dvorak’s Te Deum. He has sung Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Mann Music Center with The Philadelphia Orchestra and with The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. He has performed a variety of orchestral repertoire including Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Louisville Orchestra, a series of Christmas concerts in Hannover with the NDR Radiophilharmonie and a Verdi concert presented in Die Alte Opera Frankfurt. He also performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the Filarmonica de Jalisco and Gala concerts with Tampa Opera and with Festival Cultural Zacatecas, and a solo recital with Festival Classique des Hautes-Laurentides in Mont-Tremblant, Canada. His concert performances include La bohème (Marcello) at the Vail Festival and the Mann Music Center with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Handel’s Messiah in Spain with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Asturias.

Danielle Orlando, Vocal Coach, Collaborative piano, 2021–2022

Danielle Orlando is an accompanist to international opera singers and a vocal coach and artistic consultant to prestigious musical organizations throughout the world. She has appeared with esteemed singers in such venues as the Phillips Collection, Théatre du Châtelet, and Carnegie Hall; and for the United States Supreme Court, the Schubert Club, Vocal Arts D.C., Music at the Morgan Library, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and many more. She also appears in the documentary The Audition. Ms. Orlando has performed recitals for the Harriman-Jewell Series and has appeared at the Florida Opera and Astoria Music festivals, Festival Castell de Peralada (Spain), and Festival International Hautes-Laurentides (Canada).

Ms. Orlando served as accompanist, judge, and artistic coordinator for the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competitions and worked with Gian Carlo Menotti at the Festival dei Due Mondi for nine seasons. She was the artistic administrator and head of music staff for the Opera Company of Philadelphia and has served on the music staffs of the Metropolitan, Washington National, and San Francisco operas; Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires; Dresden Semperoper; and Savonlinna Opera Festival.

Ms. Orlando holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Temple University, where she studied with Harvey Wedeen and Lambert Orkis. She also studied at the Eastman School of Music with David Burge. Ms. Orlando joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1986, and is also master vocal coach at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.

Ms. Orlando is a guest judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a guest coach for the Domingo-Cafritz and Palm Beach young artist programs. Recent residencies include Curtis Summerfest, the University of Tennessee—Knoxville, and the Peking University Academy of Opera in Beijing. She leads master classes at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in Summer 2018.

Francesca Pedaci, Soprano

Winner of the national «As.Li.Co.» competition in Milan and the «Toscanini-Verdi» competition in Parma, Francesca Pedaci made her debut in the title role of La Cecchina, ossia la buona figliola by Niccolò Piccinni. This was followed by a great success at the Teatro alla Scala in Luigi Cherubini’s Lodoiska, conducted by Riccardo Muti. In the meanwhile she graduated in Languages summa cum laude.

Among the operas she performed in the past seasons, we won’t forget Capriccio (Cantante Italiana) by Richard Strauss, Zemlinski’s Il compleanno dell’infanta (Ghita), Orfeo ed Euridice, La cambiale di matrimonio (Fanny), Rossini’s La scala di seta (Giulia), Otello (Desdemona), Don Giovanni (Donna Anna) at Teatro alla Scala, Scottish Opera, Narodni Theater at Praga, inauguration of Palafenice in Venice and at Teatro Vittorio Emanuele in Messina where she was much acclaimed as Donna Anna with an exciting success of public and critics alike:“Ci ha positivamente impressionati la brava Francesca Pedaci che nei panni di Donna Anna è buona interprete, nobile e drammatica al punto giusto ed impeccabile quanto ad eleganza della vocalità” (La Sicilia 9 – Giugno 2010). “Su tutti ci è piaciuta – e molto – Francesca Pedaci, magnifica Donna Anna: una spanna, e forse più, sopra gli altri, per il timbro, la potenza vocale e la cura del fraseggio mostrati” (Matteo Pappalardo – La Gazzetta del Sud 4 – Giugno 2010). Donna Elvira in the world tour included Aix en Provence, Bruxelles, Piccolo Teatro in Milan, Tokyo conducted by Daniel Harding, director Peter Brook, at Teatro dell’Opera in Rome and Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, Carmen (Micaela), Il flauto magico (Pamina), I quatro rusteghi (Felice), Il turco in Italia (Fiorilla), Weber’s Der Freischütz (Annetta), Falstaff (Alice), La vestale, La molinara (as the protagonist), Mendelssohn’s Der Sommernachtstraum, Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle and Stabat Mater at Wexford Festival, conductor Maurizio Benini, Beethoven’s IX Symphony, Bruckner’s Te Deum, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Donizetti’s Requiem, conductor Gianluigi Gelmetti.

She usually performs in the principal national and international theatres, such as l’Opéra Comique of Paris, the Teatro alla Scala of Milan, the Basel Opera Theatre, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Teatro San Carlo of Naples, the Lincoln Center of New York and Metropolitan Opera where she sang Mimì in La Bohème and the same role in Edimburgh, Glasgow and at Detroit, Michigan Opera Theatre. The Concertgebouw of Amsterdam (in the exciting Christmas Gala Concert conducted by Riccardo Chailly), and the Schwetzinger Festival conducting by Gianluigi Gelmetti and at Teatro Bellini in Catania Cantata Academica, conductor Alun Francis. She then performed in Turandot (Liù) at the Scottish Opera and performed with great success in Le nozze di Figaro (Contessa) in Bologna. Mozart, Don Giovanni as donna Anna at Teatro Vittorio Emanuele in Messina, Mozart Requiem, with Haydn Orchestra in Bolzano conductor Rolf Beck.

Francesca Pedaci’s recordings include the Scala production of Lodoïska for Sony with Riccardo Muti, Don Giovanni (Donna Anna) conducted by Gustav Kuhn and Pacini’s Saffo (title role) conducted by Maurizio Benini, La passione di Cristo, by Caldara (Giovanni), conducted by Fabio Biondi and Suor Angelica (Suora infermiera), conducted by Antonio Pappano. At Wexford Festival she sang Saffo and this appearance brought her much success with the public and critics alike: “Francesca Pedaci was a stirring heroine, with a Callas-recalling command of trenchant phrase and utterance … “ (Andrew Porter, “The Observer”); as Saffo “ … reveals not only a dramatic soprano that will certainly go far, but also a powerful stage presence of sometimes remarkable intensity … “ (Della Couling, “The Independent”).

Paolo Poti, Vocal Coaching

Paolo Potì studied piano at the conservatory “Tito Schipa” in Lecce, Italy, and later at the Bologna Conservatory “Giovan Battista Martini”, where he got his piano diploma with high honors in 1994.

He worked as an accompanist in Lecce Opera Seasons at the Politeama Greco theatre from 2006 to 2015. In this period, he also worked as an accompanist for the operatic productions at Teatro Consorziale in Budrio, where he served as an accompanist for the masterclasses of American soprano June Anderson, and to all editions of the International singing competition “A. Colzani”.

He’s worked as a vocal coach, accompanist and piano teacher in “Conservatorio Santa Cecilia” in Rome and in the conservatories in Frosinone and Pescara.

He also studied harpsichord, specializing in continuo method and he is the cembalist of the prestigious chamber music ensemble “Bologna Baroque” with which he has recorded a CD and has written the continuo part for the first edition of the cello sonatas by Bolognese cellist Antonio Vandini.

In his career, he has performed with singers, choirs and in instrumental ensembles in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Greece, UK and recently China.

He’s a vocal coach in Bologna Conservatory where he collaborates with both vocal and instrumental classes.

Miglena Slavova, Piano, 2017

Miglena Slavova was born 1983 in Bourgas, Bulgaria, into a musical family and began piano lessons at the age of five. She began vocal studies in her hometown in 2000, and 2 years later graduated from the music school with a double degree in piano and voice.

In 2007 she graduated from the National Music Academy “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” in Sofia, Bulgaria, as a voice student of Prof. Konstantza Vachkova. From 2007 until present, Ms Slavova has worked as a staff accompanist in the international music company, Opera 2001 – Spain. She has worked in Bourgas as an accompanist at their State Opera and as a vocal pedagogue at their “Native Song” choir.

Ms Slavova is recipient of more than 40 awards and diplomas. She has won national and international competitions as a pianist, singer, composer and accompanist.

She has participated in master classes of Ludmil Angelov, Boris Bloch, and Germain Mounier, and was invited by Paolo and Tamara Podubnaya (as a pianist); and served as accompanist to Mincho Minchev, Mikhail Angelov, Ifra Niemann, and Sarah Evstatieva.

In September 2014 Ms Slavova received the special award for outstanding opera accompaniment at the Boris Christoff international voice competition in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Ms Slavova made her operatic debut in 2003 in the role of Papagena from “The Magic Flute” by Mozart. She also performed as: The Queen of the Night in “The Magic Flute,” Adela in “The Bat” – J. Strauss, The Page in both “Don Carlos” and “Rigoletto” by Verdi, and the soprano soloist in “Carmina Burana” by Orff.

Throughout her career, Ms Slavova has presented piano and voice solo recitals in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Spain and France.

Maria Spacagna, Soprano, 2017

Providence born soprano, Maria Spacagna has been a regular guest artist at many of the world’s most prestigious opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the Dallas Opera, Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera Festival, Florida Grand Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Arena di Verona, Teatro di San Carlo, the Puccini Festival at Torre del Lago, the Spoleto Festival, the Zurich Opera, Bavarian State Opera of Munich, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opera Theater of Cologne, Opera Theater of Montreal, Canadian Opera, Shanghai Grand Opera, Capetown Opera of South Africa and many others. She was the first American-born artist to perform the role of MADAMA BUTTERFLY at La Scala. She has recorded for Vox Classics, the first commercial recording of the 1904 La Scala world premiere version of Puccini’s MADAMA BUTTERFLY, which includes the revisions for Brescia and Paris. This is the first interactive recording of an opera designed for CD. VARIETY, the American daily of the entertainment industry has written, “Spacagna is the Cio-Cio-San of our generation”. The Spacagna Butterfly was selected by FANFARE, the recording industry quarterly, as one of the three opera “recordings of the year” for 1997. Fanfare, places her recording of the role along with those of Tebaldi, Scotto and Toti dal Monte. Her recordings of the title role of Mascagni’s Lodoletta for Hungaroton and Vivetta in Cilea’s L’Arlesiana for Harmonia Mundi have earned critical acclaim. In 1993, the LA SCALA ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE OPERA wrote: “The elegance of Spacagna’s phrasing, coupled with a voice that is consistent across the range and great sensitivity of interpretation, led her to being acclaimed as one of the great singers of her generation.” She has performed more than 40 roles in her career. Among them are: Violetta, Gilda, Desdemona, Luisa Miller, Amelia Boccanegra, Mimi, Liu, Tosca, Micaela, Marguerite and Rusalka.

As Liu in Turandot, Ms. Spacagna has been featured at the Metropolitan Opera (including the international radio broadcast), La Scala, Dallas Opera, Canadian Opera and in Korea and Japan with La Scala on tour. Her Violetta in La Traviata has been heard at the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Arena di Verona, Cologne, Toronto, Metropolitan Opera, Torre del Lago, New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and New Orleans Opera. As Gilda in Rigoletto she has been heard at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Dallas, Milwaukee, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, New Orleans, Toledo, Art park Festival, Winnipeg and Providence.

She returned to La Scala in 1996 to perform Cio-Cio-San, repeated the role at the Metropolitan, returned to Cologne and Berlin for more performances of Madama Butterfly and opened the Santa Fe Festival in their new production of that opera. In the 1996/97 season she sang her first Tosca for Boston Lyric Opera and returned to the Met as Mimi in La Boheme and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly. In 1997 Ms. Spacagna made her first appearances in Australia at Perth as Mimi in La Boheme and sang the Verdi Requiem. Later that year she debuted in South Africa at Capetown with performances of Violetta in La Traviata. In 1998 she added Leonora in Il Trovatore at the Met and the Deutsche Oper Berlin and reprised Liu in Turandot for the Met. Other engagements included Madama Butterfly at L’Opera de Montreal, Pittsburgh Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin and La Traviata in New Orleans.

Important performances for Ms. Spacagna in 1998/99 included Un Ballo in Maschera with Opera Grand Rapids, Andrea Chenier for Baltimore Opera, La Boheme at the Met, Madama Butterfly for the inaugural performances of the Fresno International Grand Opera,La Boheme for Opera Providence, and La Traviata for the Shanghai Grand Opera in Shanghai, China.

Other notable roles in her repertory (and their venue) include: Lina in Stiffelio and the title role in Luisa Miller (Metropolitan Opera), Maddalena in Andrea Chenier (Cincinnati Opera), Desdemona in Otello (Columbus Symphony and Florentine Opera), Marguerite in Faust (Trieste, Montreal, Winnipeg and Providence), the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro (Florentine Opera), Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore(Metropolitan Opera and Opera Theater of St. Louis), Micaela inCarmen (Dallas, Memphis, and Portland), Lord Byron‘s Love Letter(Trieste), and title roles in Rusalka (Spoleto Festival) and Lodoletta(New Jersey State Opera).

At the invitation of Placido Domingo, Ms. Spacagna performed at a State Dinner honoring the Prime Minister of Italy given by President and Mrs. Clinton at the White House.

In concert, Maria Spacagna has appeared with the Pittsburgh Symphony in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony conducted by Lorin Maazel, and the Verdi Requiem with the Stamford Chamber Orchestra, Pioneer Symphony, MA, and the Chorale and Orchestra of Perth, Australia. She has also appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Civic Chorale, and New York’s Little Orchestra Society, the Queens Symphony and the Toronto Symphony.

Ms. Spacagna is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music where she received a Bachelor of Music in Voice and a Master of Music in Voice with Distinction. She was honored with an Alumnus of the Year Award in 2004 from NEC. She was a member of the Juilliard Opera Center at the Julliard School of Music. In competitions, she was a second prize winner of the Busseto Verdi Competition in Italy, and the Paris International Voice Competition, and a New York regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. She is the recipient of 2 George London grants, the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Rockefeller Foundation and the Minna Kaufmann Rudd Distinguished Performance Award. Ms. Spacagna is a recipient of a Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts. In March, 2012, she received an award from the Italian Consulate General in Boston for Outstanding Achievement in Art, Culture and Entertainment. She is also Honorary President of the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra and has received its first Distinguished Artist Award. At the invitation of its founder, Sherrill Milnes, Ms. Spacagna is a faculty member of V.O.I.C.Experience, a training program for emerging professional singers. She was Lecturer in Voice at Boston University, College of Fine Arts from 2005 until 2012. Presently, she is Associate Professor of Voice at Carnegie Mellon University School of Fine Arts.