Stefano Vignati

Stefano Vignati is Music Director and Principal Conductor of Opera Carolina, becoming the first Italian to hold this position in Opera Carolina’s 75-year history. He also serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the New York City Opera and as Artistic and Music Director of the International Lyric Academy.

His upcoming and recent engagements include Gianni Schicchi/Suor Angelica, Die Zauberflöte, Verdi’s Requiem, Falstaff, Le Nozze di Figaro (Opera Carolina), Basoli’s Turandot (Puccini Festival Torre del Lago), Il Trittico (Teatro Pergolesi Spontini in Jesi), Rigoletto (Macedonia National Opera), Falstaff (Teatro Comunale di Vicenza), La traviata (Taormina Opera Festival, Jerusalem Opera Festival, Macedonian Opera and Ballet), Carmen (New York City Opera), Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz (Festival Mascagni in Livorno). Vignati has also conducted other concert engagements at New York City Opera, Orchestra Sinfonica del Friuli Venezia Giulia, and St. Petersburg State Orchestra

Maestro Vignati was a guest conductor of the UNM Symphony Orchestra in New Mexico, Amarillo Symphony of Dallas, Tonhalle Zürich and Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra in China. He was the artistic and music director of the Tuscia Opera Festival in Italy and was previously appointed Artistic and Music Director of the Italian American Opera Foundation in Los Angeles, and in 2010 Artistic Director of the Viterbo Baroque Festival.

Stefano earned his master’s in conducting from the University of Denver, after which he was a professor at Drake University where he was also Director and Principal Conductor of the Drake Opera Theater.