BIOGRAPHY

Stefano Vignati is an Italian-born American conductor. His career began in 1990, and since then, in addition to conducting numerous Symphonic Concerts in Italy and abroad, he has dedicated himself to opera, with over 60 titles in his repertoire.

Maestro Vignati was recently appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of Carolina Opera, becoming the first Italian (naturalized in the US) to hold this prestigious position in Opera Carolina’s 75-year history. He also serves as Principal Guest Conductor at the New York City Opera and as Artistic and Music Director of the International Lyric Academy, which in 2025 will celebrate 31 years of international activity. Maestro Vignati has conducted prestigious orchestras in the United States, Canada, Italy, China, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenija, Serbia, Republic of Macedonia, Switzerlandand Russia, collaborating with world-famous artists such as Lina Wertmüller, Barbara Frittoli, Michele Campanella, Mariella Devia, Bruno Praticò, Alfonso Antoniozzi, Pierre Amoyal, Nicola Ulivieri, Marco Vinco, Mirco Palazzi, Jesus Leon, Moni Ovadia, Aleksey Bogdanov, Janet Perry, Carol Neblett, Limmie Pulliam, Svetla Vassileva, Leo An, and Alexander Malta.

In 1995, his first Concerto, produced by the Italian RAI Radio-Television for "I Concerti di RaiTre", was broadcast. In 2007 and 2008, he directed two other RAI productions: "Prima della Prima", of "Le Nozze di Figaro" by Mozart, and Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia", directed by Lina Wertmüller and Alfonso Antoniozzi, respectively.

In 1998, 1999, and 2000, he recorded various music CDs, including the first interactive CD dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi's Opera Omnia, published by De Agostini of Novara. From 2007 to 2017, Maestro Vignati was the artistic and music director of the Tuscia Operafestival in Italy. In 2009 he was also appointed Artistic and Music Director of the Italian American Opera Foundation in Los Angeles, and in 2010 Artistic Director of the Viterbo Baroque Festival (2010-2014) during which, among others, he conducted the Accademia Baroque Orchestra of Santa Cecilia and collaborated with artists and ensembles such as Giovanni Antonini and the Giardino Armonico, Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante, Ramin Barhami, Enrico Onofri, and Evangelina Mascardi.

Maestro Vignati studied piano and composition under the guidance of T. Procaccini, C. Savelloni, and C. Ricci, and conducting under the guidance of N. Hansalik Samale and Lawrence Golan. He also earned his Master’s in Conducting from the University of Denver in Colorado, USA. M° Vignati has been a Professor at Drake University, IA, where he was also Director and Principal Conductor of the Drake Opera Theater (2015- 2022).

He has also been a guest conductor in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2011, and 2007 of the UNM Symphony Orchestra in New Mexico, in 2000 of the Amarillo Symphony of Dallas, Texas, in 2012 and 2013 of the Tonhalle in Zürich, Switzerland, and from 2014 to 2017 of the Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra in China. Last engagements: Verdi’s La Traviata (Macedonian Opera and Ballet, Skopje (May 2023), Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (ILA/Opera Carolina/Teatro Comunale of Vicenza (July 2023); Verdi Tribute Opera Recital with Barbara Frittoli and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada (October 2023), Opera Grand Gala with Barbara Frittoli and St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg, Russia, Places Festival (December 2023), DU Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Concert, Denver Colorado (May 2024), Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Beethoven’s IX Symphony, Teatro Comunale of Vicenza (July 2024).

Future engagements: 2 Concerts at the New York City Opera (June 2025), Verdi’s Falstaff at Teatro Comunale di Vicenza (August 2025), Verdi’s La traviata at the Taormina Opera Festival (August 2025), Bizet’s Carmen at the New York City Opera (September 2025), Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz at the Festival Mascagni in Livorno (September 2025), 2 Concerts with the Orchestra Sinfonica del Friuli Venezia Giulia (July 2025), 10 Concerts with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Bari (December 2025), Verdi’ Rigolettoat Macedonian National Opera (February 2026), Busoni’s Turandot (July 2026), and Puccini’s Il Trittico at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago (August 2027).

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