Gabriele Donà
Opera director Oper Köln
Born in Padua in 1979, the musician and cultural manager studied violin at the conservatory in his home town, musicology at the University of Padua and orchestral and choral conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
In the early years of his professional career, he worked as a conductor and choirmaster at several theatres and also conducted various orchestras, including the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico Vicenza, the Neue Lausitzer Philharmonie, the Orchestra of the F.X. Šalda Theatre Liberec and the Mitteldeutsche Kammerphilharmonie.
After a career as a violinist, orchestral and choral conductor, he moved into management. From 2018, he was chief conductor at Staatstheater Mainz, where he took over the position of opera director in 2019.
He is regularly invited as a jury member to international singing competitions, including IVC 's-Hertogenbosch, Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques (Montréal), Marmo all'Opera (Carrara) and Voce all'Opera (Busseto).
His scouting activities also include collaborations with renowned opera studios, including the Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Accademia Teatro alla Scala. In November 2024, he conducted a masterclass at the New York Vocal Arts Academy in New York.
