Stefano Vignati Appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor Of Opera Carolina

Opera Carolina has announced the appointment of Maestro Stefano Vignati as Music Director and Principal Conductor effective May 1, 2025. Maestro Vignati is a world renowned conductor and artist-educator whose career spans nearly three decades.

 

Joining the Opera Carolina support staff in 2022, Vignati debuted in Charlotte in 2023 conducting Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, a collaboration between Opera Carolina and the International Lyric Academy.

In his new role, Maestro Vignati will conduct at least one mainstage production per season and will play a key role in shaping the musical direction of the company. Dr. Shanté Williams, General Director of Opera Carolina, made the announcement this morning.

 

Dr. Shanté Williams stated: “I am excited to continue to work along side and learn from such a tremendously talented artist. Maestro Vignati has delighted audiences around the world, and it has been a joy to watch him carry out the work that we value at Opera Carolina, developing the next generation of Opera talent and patrons. His cultivation of artists as young as 7 and as seasoned as 70 will help usher us into our next 75 years.

Maestro Vignati is set to return to the podium for a new production of Puccini's double bill, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, to open the 2026 season.

 

“I am honored to be appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of Opera Carolina. It is a privilege to work alongside this visionary team and to contribute to the company's bright future.” Vignati states.

 

With a repertoire of more than 60 operas and an extensive symphonic catalog, Maestro Vignati has conducted across Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Bulgaria, China, Serbia, Germany, Slovenia, the Republic of Macedonia, Croatia, and Russia.

 

In the past two years, he has led acclaimed performances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, including concerts featuring soprano Barbara Frittoli.

 

Looking ahead, Maestro Vignati will also represent Opera Carolina as Music Director at prestigious international venues. His future engagements include among the others: 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' Rigoletto at 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).



Carol Kendrick, current Chair of the Opera Carolina Board of Directors, also stated: “Opera Carolina has a rich history of artistic excellence and I am looking forward to the dawning of this new era. Maestro Vignati becomes the first Italian (naturalized in the US) to hold this prestigious position in Opera Carolina's 75-year history.”

Maestro Vignati also serves as Principal Guest Conductor at New York City Opera and Artistic Director of the International Lyric Academy. From 2017 to 2022, he was also Professor and Director of the Drake Opera Theater at Drake University, Iowa.

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