Biography

Italian conductor Francesco Lanzillotta is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished conductors of his generation, acclaimed for his versatility in both the operatic and symphonic repertoire. Renowned for his refined musical insight and dynamic artistic leadership, he has established an international career spanning Europe’s leading opera houses and orchestras.

Born in Rome, Lanzillotta studied conducting at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory under Bruno Aprea, while also earning degrees in composition with Luciano Pelosi. A trained pianist and cellist, he combines profound musical scholarship with a natural affinity for both traditional and contemporary repertoire.

His appointments have included Principal Guest Conductor of the Varna Opera, Chief Conductor of the Arturo Toscanini Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Macerata Opera Festival, where he further consolidated his reputation as one of Italy’s leading operatic conductors.

Lanzillotta has appeared regularly at many of Italy’s foremost opera houses, including Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Teatro La Fenice, Teatro Regio di Torino, Teatro San Carlo, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Carlo Felice, Teatro Regio di Parma and the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro.

Internationally, he has conducted at the Vienna State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Bayerische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Oper Frankfurt, Opernhaus Zürich, La Monnaie in Brussels, Palau de les Arts in Valencia, the Hungarian State Opera, the Bolshoi Theatre, and numerous other prestigious institutions. His symphonic engagements include appearances with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and performances at Carnegie Hall.

Equally committed to contemporary music, Lanzillotta has conducted numerous world premieres by leading Italian composers while maintaining an extensive repertoire ranging from Mozart and Rossini to Verdi, Puccini, Wagner and the twentieth-century masters. He is also an accomplished composer, recipient of the prestigious Valentino Bucchi Composition Prize and several other national awards.

Praised for his elegance, precision and dramatic instinct, Francesco Lanzillotta has become one of the leading interpreters of Italian opera on today’s international stage, combining deep respect for tradition with an unmistakably modern artistic vision.

At the XXI Cartagena International Music Festival, Francesco Lanzillotta brings his outstanding experience as one of Italy’s foremost conductors, leading performances that unite operatic passion, symphonic brilliance and exceptional musical refinement.