Born in Italy, Mr. Sarzani is currently working as assistant conductor of Sarasota Opera for the Winter Festival 2015. Most recently, he has served as assistant conductor of Atlanta Opera and Opera National de Lorraine, Nancy (France). Mr. Sarzani also worked on the educational and experimental projects of Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana conducting concerts and engaging the audience in innovative ways.
At the University of Cincinnati, he was assistant conductor of the CCM Orchestras, while finishing his doctoral studies under Mark Gibson. In Cincinnati, the highlights of his work include a fully staged production of “Le Docteur Miracle” by G. Bizet and an experimental concert featuring for the first time, Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” in an original synergy between West and East, alternating Mahler’s music with traditional Chinese music, Chinese Tang poetry and ballet.
Selected by important competitions such as the 2012 Donatella Flick, Mr. Sarzani was awarded 2ndprize in “The American Prize 2012”. Invited to the 1st Memphis Symphony Orchestra International Conducting Competition (May 2011, Head-Judge, Robert Spano), he qualified as a finalist. He was finalist at the XVIII Capuana Competition (October 2011) and ranked among the first three. He has been invited to participate in masterclasses such as the 2011 Conducting Masterclass of Bernard Haitink in Lucerne and in summer courses of Gianluigi Gelmetti at Accademia Musicale Chigiana di Siena (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014).
Mr. Sarzani served as assistant conductor, musical coach and diction coach with the Indiana University Opera Theatre, 2009-2011. He earned his Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University with David Effron and Arthur Fagen. He graduated in Conducting from Conservatorio G. Rossini, Pesaro, Italy, under Manlio Benzi and holds an Orchestral Conducting Diploma of Accademia Musicale Pescarese, where he studied with Gilberto Serembe. He has also studied conducting with Donato Renzetti, Otto Werner-Mueller, Harold Farberman, and Michael Jinbo. Mr. Sarzani holds degrees in piano and composition in Pesaro (Italy) from Conservatorio Statale di Musica, G.Rossini.
Please join us in welcoming Stefano to the National Repertory Orchestra!