Meet the Team
Nino Machaidze, Soprano
Hails from Tbilisi in Georgia and has already made a name for herself in many of the world’s most prestigious opera houses, appearing at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, the Paris Opéra, the Bavarian, Vienna and Berlin State Operas, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, La Scala, Milan, the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Liceu in Barcelona, the Monnaie in Brussels and the Los Angeles Opera. Her plans for 2019/20 include her Japanese debut as Mimì (La bohème) at the New National Theatre in Tokyo and her role and house debut as Amina (La sonnambula) at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège. She will also return to Paris for Violetta (La traviata).
Highlights of the 2018/19 season include her role debuts as Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) in Naples and as Massenet’s Manon at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. She later sang Manon at the Vienna State Opera and was additionally heard as Verdi’s Luisa Miller in Hamburg and as Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia) in Amsterdam.
Other recent engagements include Nedda (Pagliacci) in Geneva, Mathilde (Guillaume Tell) in Palermo, Rosina at the Arena di Verona, Luisa Miller in Zurich, Leïla (Les Pêcheurs de perles) in Los Angeles, Violetta in Naples and Seoul, Mimì in Geneva and Seoul, Juliette (Roméo et Juliette) in Karlsruhe and Muscat, Desdemona in Rossini’s Otello in Naples, the title role in Thaïs in Barcelona, the Contessa di Folleville (Il viaggio a Reims) in Copenhagen, Gilda (Rigoletto) in San Francisco and Pamyra (Le Siège de Corinthe) at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro.
Nino Machaidze is a graduate of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where she was heard as Marie (La Fille du régiment) in 2007, making her Rome Opera debut soon afterwards in the same role. Together, these appearances marked the start of her international career. She made her sensational Salzburg Festival debut in 2008 as Juliette alongside Rolando Villazón’s Roméo, returning in 2012 for Musetta (La bohème). Past engagements also include Gilda in Hamburg, at the Paris Opéra and in Genoa, Toulouse and San Francisco; Lucia di Lammermoor in Hamburg; Adina (L’elisir d’amore) in Hamburg, Madrid and Vienna; Juliette in Los Angeles, Vienna and Brussels; Marie at the Metropolitan Opera; Fiorilla (Il turco in Italia) in Barcelona, Turin and Munich; Thaïs alongside Plácido Domingo in Seville and Los Angeles; Violetta in Los Angeles and Hamburg and at the Arena di Verona; Micaëla (Carmen) at La Scala; Ninetta (La gazza ladra) at the Rossini Opera Festival; Inès (L’Africaine) at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin; Rossini’s Desdemona at the Theater an der Wien; and Mimì under Gustavo Dudamel in Los Angeles.
Ivan Magrì, Tenore
Ivan Magrì was born in Catania. He began studying singing with his first teacher, Domenica Monti. In 2005, he graduated with honors from the Verdi Conservatory in Milan, where he studied with Giovanna Canetti and Wilma Borelli. He was later fortunate enough to receive valuable advice from the great Luciano Pavarotti. He has won several international competitions, including the Riccardo Zandonai and Francesco Maria Martini competitions.
He made his debut in 2006 in the role of Ernesto in Donizetti's Don Pasquale. In 2007, he sang Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore in Udine and Pordenone, in 2008 Puccini's Manon Lescaut conducted by Daniel Oren at the Carlo Felice in Genoa, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in Bologna and Ferrara, and achieved great success in the role of Fernando in Donizetti's Marin Faliero in Sassari and Bergamo. He sang the roles of Arturo in Bellini's I Puritani at the Comunale in Bologna, Riga, and Bratislava; the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto in Bologna, Como, Las Palmas, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, the Regio in Turin, Estonia, Bellini in Catania, the Palau de las Artes in Valencia, and the Opera in Budapest; L'Elisir d'amore in Lima, at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo, at the Opera in Rome, and in Turin; Verdi's La Traviata at the Macerata Festival, in Berlin, Valencia, and Tel Aviv, conducted in both cases by Zubin Mehta, at the Florida Opera, at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, in Seoul, and at the Staatsoper in Berlin. He sings Simon Boccanegra and I Due Foscari by Verdi in Valencia, opens the season at the Regio in Parma with Un Giorno di regno by Verdi, performs I Lombardi alla prima crociata by Verdi in Piacenza, Werther by Massenet in Estonia, Virginia by Mercadante at the Wexford Festival, Maria di Rudenz by Donizetti at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo, Lehár's La Vedova allegra at the Regio in Turin, Verdi's Luisa Miller in Hamburg and at the Opernhaus in Zurich. He sings Rigoletto in Rome and Florence conducted by Zubin Metha and in Budapest, L'Elisir d'amore in Buenos Aires, Puccini's La Bohème in Bari and La Traviata at La Scala in Milan.
His recent engagements include L'Elisir d'amore at Covent Garden in London, Lucia di Lammermoor in Bari and Oslo, La Bohème in Houston and Sydney, Rigoletto in Savolinna, London Covent Garden, Minorca, and Bari, Puccini's Madama Butterfly in Stuttgart, I due Foscari in Munich, Verdi's Nabucco in Parma, Madama Butterfly in Vienna, La Traviata in Berlin, Faust at the Sydney Opera House, La Traviata and Rigoletto in Madrid, La Traviata in Berlin, Naples, and Venice, Puccini's Turandot at the Puccini Opera Festival, and Luisa Miller at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival and Munich.
With the Fondazione Arena ensembles, he made his debut in 2022 on tour in Oman, playing the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, a role he reprised for his debut at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona for the 2022 Opera Season.
He will make his debut at the Arena di Verona in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and in the role of Radamès in Verdi's Aida during the 101st Opera Festival in 2024.
Josef Fuchs
Artistic Director, Artistic Advisor
Josef Fuchs born in Kitzbühel, Tirol, is an Austrian singer, actor and cultural manager. He studied vocal performance, musicology and communication at the University of Salzburg and started to work for the Salzburg Festival in 1998, as assistant to Markus Hinterhäuser (current Intendant of the festival) and production-manager for the Zeitfluss Festival.
In 2014 he was appointed head of Casting and Artistic Affairs at the Nederlandse Reisopera (Dutch National Touring Opera), where he is currently in the position of Casting Director.
Prior to this, from 2007 to 2014, Josef Fuchs appeared in Vienna as regular guest singer at the Wiener Burgtheater and Theater an der Wien, but also as actor for diverse off-scene projects.
Next to performing on stage he also worked many years as artist manager at the international opera agency Sono Artists, based in Vienna, and collaborating with couple of Austrian summer festivals in management and consulting.
Josef Fuchs has been coaching and advising young performers in professional summer work-shops and Young Artists Programs (Amsterdam) next to joining major international vocal competitions. He was part of the jury of the International Ada Sari Vocal Competition, the preliminary rounds of the Belvedere Singing Competition and the 57th International Vocal Competition ’s-Hertogenbosch (IVC) in Amsterdam in 2024. He also presented the finals of the International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro Antonio Cesti, part of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, in 2012.
The profession of an operasinger requires these days a wider set of skills, and a profound understanding of the artist's position within the larger picture. This is where the workshop "artistic entrepreneurship” can provide excellent help by stimulating new perspectives on career choices and fine-tuning decision making that is in line with the individual profile and qualities of a certain artist. The work-shop focusses on essential performance skills that are not connected to the vocal cords but as important to help build a successful business plan. In a group setting we will elaborate on certain given and improvised topics, in a mix of lecture, dialogue and group sessions. This way we can use the collective know-how and exchange experiences, and already start to widen the network and awareness of each participant for their professional journey.
Massimiliano Di Fino
Pianist, Organist, Composer, Conductor, Tenor
Born in Bergamo, he graduated in 1994 from the G. Donizetti Music Institute in the same city in
Pianoforte, Organ and Composition with highest honors. He has attended courses of high
specialization held by such illustrious names as, G. Parodi, A. Sacchetti.
Parallel to his piano and organ activities, he undertook, studies in choral conducting,
orchestra and opera singing. At only 16 years of age, after being the winner of a competition held by the Società Umanitaria di Milan as “best student of the Bergamo Conservatory,” he performed the complete works of C. Franck for organ in the Basilica of St. Charles in Milan.
Over the years, he has devoted himself with particular regard to the music of the Italian 19th century organist becoming its expert connoisseur and performer thanks also to the in-depth study of opera singing and of the vast repertoire of vocal music.
He has served as Maestro pianist accompanist, opera preparer, at the Teatro
Carlo Felice in Genoa and at the G. Donizetti theater in Bergamo.”
Also as an accompanist pianist, he has collaborated with important opera singers such as Ernesto
Palacio, Nicola Martinucci, Giuseppe Sabbatini, Marcelo Alvarez, Ivan Magrì, Nino Machaidze,
Barbara Frittoli, Leo Nucci, accompanying them in concerts and Masterclasses.
As a tenor he has performed vast repertoire of sacred and lieder music. He has been a member of the vocal group “Italian Harmonists” www.italianharmonists.it, for which he arranged several
pieces for vocal quintet with piano.
From 2010 to the present, he is Chorus Artist at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where he has performed also, solo tenor roles in the following operas: Lady Macbeth from the District of Mcensk by Shostakovich, A Bride for the Tsar by Rimsky-Korsakov, Les Troyens by Berlioz, Le Comte Ory by Rossini, Rosenkavalier by Strauss, Porgy & Bess by Gershwin, Fidelio by Beethoven, Idomeneo by Mozart, La Forza del Destino by G. Verdi.
Davide Bottarelli Conductor, Pianist
He began studying piano at the age of six and then continued his studies at the Conservatorio ‘Luca Marenzio’ in Brescia with Maestro Riccardo Bettini, graduating brilliantly in principal piano, later specialising with Maestro A. de Curtis , Ludmilla Tarassova and Carlo Balzaretti. Since ‘94 he has participated in numerous concerts both in Italy and abroad (Vatican,Prague, Vienna, Salzburg ,Melk ). Since 2014, he has been the stable director of the ‘Coro Polifonico la Rocchetta - Renzo Pagani’. In 2012 he obtained the International Master's degree ‘Conducting Beethoven Symphony’, conducting the ‘Orchestra Regionale Filarmonica Veneta’, with teachers Romolo Gessi ,Lior Shambadal . In 2014, again at the same International Master, he received the ‘Diploma of Merit’ distinguishing himself among the best students of the course. In 2015, at the end of the three-year course at the European Conducting Academy in Vicenza, he obtained a Diploma in Conducting. In 2017, he obtained the Academic Diploma of Proficiency. He then specialised with internationally renowned conductors such as J. Kalmar, D. Renzetti, S. Thorp and W. Tachezi, and won the International Conducting Competition ‘BLACK SEA COMPETITION’ Constanta Symphony Orchestra, with thirty final participants selected from all over the world, ranking 1st among European conductors and 3rd in the international ranking, and was invited as a guest conductor for the 2017 symphonic season.
He was a collaborator with the La Rocchetta R.P. choir at the Teatro A. Ponchielli in Cremona for the production of C. Orff's Carmina Burana . Finalist in the choral review competition ‘ Cantus ’. he then performed as conductor at the final concert at the Teatro Grande in Bescia. In 2018, he conducted ‘Orchestra sinfonica dei Colli Morenici’ in several concerts with a repertoire of sacred and chamber music. In the same year he was assistant collaborator of IYAP ‘International Young Artist Project’ as conductor for the production of Mozart's Requiem performed in 2 concerts with ‘Oida Orchestra’. In 2021 he was awarded the Silver Diploma at the Rimini Intenational Choral Competition. In 2022 he is first pianist in C. Orff's Carmina Burana with Il Coro Lirico Ponchielli Vertova Cremona , conducting the production in 2023; also in 2022 he is musical director in two productions of Bohème with the agency ‘Musica Proibita’ in collaboration with singers Barbara Frittoli and Fabio Armiliato. In 2023 he is a winner in the following international competitions: first prize GOLD PRIZE at the International Global Genius Music Competition - Hanwell - London , first prize at the World Classic Music awards and first prize at the Universal Gold star Competition. Also in 2023 he is co-founder and principal musical director of the Fidelio Youth Orchestra.
Maria Paola Oreglia Actress, Stage Director
She is a multifaceted artist with 30 years of professional experience in Theater, Opera, dance and performing arts.
Studies, Classical and Character Dance (Royal Academy of dance of London), later specializing at Teatro Studio Dance Works Center in Turin with Ileana Iliescu, G. Jancu, E. Sportiello, L. Cosi, M. Stefanescu, A. Gades. Acting, Performing Arts and Directing in Turin, with Mario Moretti, Alfonso Cipolla, Roberto Petrolini , Toni Mazzara, at Michele di Mauro's “Teatro non Teatro”. Three-year course. Dubbing at ODS in Turin. Commedia dell'arte, Improvisation, Canovaccio and Maschere with Dario Fo and Leonardo Poppa.
Began career professionally by participating in productions as TERSICOREA with:1989 to 1992 she is part of the company Alpherats directed by G. Cantello. Also participates in productions of indiocontemporary dance with the company Xandra' of Turin, directed by Alessandra Lombardo.
She collaborates with TEATRO REGIO DI TORINO, LA FENICE DI VENEZIA, SFERITERIO DI MACERATA AND ROSSINI OPERA FESTIVAL, for productions directed by Cesare Lievi, Alberto Fassini, Marta Ferri, Cesare Lievi, F. Maestrini, Silvano Bussotti, Giorgio Gallione, Pier'Alli, Hugo de Ana.
ACTRESS in PROSE THEATER for the productions of: Marco Berry, Danielle Maxent, G. Molino, Roberto Petrolini, Tony Mazzara, Giovanni Moretti, Alfonso Cipolla, Leonardo Poppa.
From 1997 to 2010 she collaborated with the TEATRO ALLA SCALA DI MILANO for numerous productions as mima dancer working with directors (L. Cavani, D. Pountney, Pier'Alli, G. Deflò, Asari, L Ronconi, P. Luigi Pizzi, Hugo de Ana) and choreographers (Leda Lojodice, A. Agati, Philippe Giraudeau, Ron Havell, M. V.Hoech, Marise Flach,) of international fame.
From the 2010/2011 season until today, his professional activity with the prestigious Theater continues as ASSISTANT and AID DIRECTOR flanking guest directors such as L. Cavani, Gilbert Deflò, Hugo de Ana, M. Bianchi, Pierre Audi, Daniele Abbado, M. Martone, F. Tiezzi, D. Micheletto, Luc Bondy, M.Hrtmann, H.Vernicke, L. Pasqual, M. Pynkoski, M.L.Bischofberger, B. Sher, L. Cantini.
BALLET productions: “Bayadere,” “Madina,”"The Lady of the Camellias.” Curates the realization of SPETTACOLI PER RAGAZZI with L'ACCADEMIA DI CANTO DEL TEATRO ALLA SCALA AND IL CORO VOCI BIANCHE: “Elisir d'amore “(directed by G. Asagaroff), ‘Little Prince’ (directed by Polly Graham), ‘Lalla and Skali’ (directed by M: Acampa)
Resumes directing “Cinderella for Children” (directed by P. Ulrich) and “Little Chimney Sweep” (directed by L. Cantini). These productions testify to the pedagogical and educational sensitivity in curating Classical Operas for emerging professionals.
She has also worked with: TEATRO LIRICO DI CAGLIARI for “CARMEN” directed by M. Zainevsky. TEATRO REGIO of Turin and IL TEATRO REGIO of Parma for “Ernani” directed by Pier' Alli. TEATRO BOL'SOJ OF MOSCOW, “Simon Boccanegra” directed by F. Tiezzi, BUNKA KAIKAN AND NHK AUDITORIUM OF TOKYO (La Scala tour).
Assistant director alongside Pierre Audi for the prestigious “Fin de Partie” production of Kurtàg : NATIONAL OPERA AND BALLET THEATER IN AMSTERDAM, TEATRO PALAZZO DELLE ARTI REGINA SOFIA IN VALENCIA, OPERA GARNIER THEATER IN PARIS, FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS:
“Forced Transmission” (dancer and actress), directed by Dario Fo, RAI. “La Melevisione” (choreographer). RAI. “Il Gran Concerto” (choreographer and actress) directed by Sergio Japino, Raffaella Carra' , RAI.
Parallel to her artistic career, she matures a solid experience as a TEACHER, conducting SCENIC ART, DANCE AND THEATER courses for numerous entities including ISvor Fiat, Mediolanum Tour and Tim and Dance and Theater schools.
This versatility makes her an outstanding figure, an expression of dedication, committed to enhancing the performing arts and education, through a multidisciplinary approach.
Simona Rosa Actress, Italian Teacher
Founder and coordinator of volunteers to support reading in the family: the "Geni-Lettori"Theatrical training, use of the voice, diction with :Gabriella Pertusi; Armando Leopaldo; Alessandra Patrucco; Idea theater; Reverse Theatre; Danny Lemmo (Actor Studio in New York); Lucilla Giagnoni; Alessandro Mor; Anna Teotti; "Odyssey of the scene" conducted by Maria Elena Garavelli – Monica Gilardetti; Accademia Nazionale della Voce-Roma by Daniela de Meo with Monica Ward and Massimo Lopez; Massimo Corvo (Italian voice of Sylvester Stallone, Jean Renò...); Student selected at the Workshop of Paolo Nani "The search for my show" Filodrammatici theater in Milan; Matteo Belli training on the timbre qualities of the voice.
Training Reading, Theatre-therapy:
Training course on reading, texts and reading strategies Mondadori Spa "Un tesoro di libraio" training,
texts and reading strategies. Collaborations with psychotherapists Laura Consolati, Laura Pasolini Italian School of Playback-Theatre theatre of spontaneity.
AGITA Association to implement together the "Guidelines" of the law 107 qualified training body and accredited by the MIUR.; NPL – LOMBARDY with ACP (Ass.Culturale Pediatri) AIB (Ass.Italiana Bibliotecari)
Path of knowledge and interpretation of the activity of the self through archetyped tools by the psychologist Alessandra Nodari
Foundation of the Brescian Community – Musical-Mente and Artedo Network srl
theatrical and musical project of social and scholastic integration of children with disabilities and / or psychic and dsa, as specific training for teachers LOL Orchestra, Band & Drama The ARTEDO project is accredited by MIUR;
For the Cultural Renaissance Association she has curated meetings for Massimo Polidoro (Italian journalist, writer and scientific popularizer, national secretary of CICAP) and Maria Pia Ammirati (Director of Rai Teche and writer)
Teacher for the theatrical workshop "Il vizio della memoria" aimed at students of the Luigi Einaudi High School Institute (Chiari, Brescia) winner of the First Prize awarded by the Municipality of Brescia and the National Association of Partisans of Italy
She made her debut as a director and creator with "Ulysses and women" and "Fragments of voices" taken from Spoon River by E.L.Master," The ashes of Angelo" "I carry the signs of your pain" against violence against women, "Villa of oleanders", "The thousandths of life" "Three funerals, a marriage and the prediction of the bird" and the series of "We are in a book" and "The Voice of the Witches"
She collaborated with Treccani-Istituto dell' Enciclopedia Italiana conducting the experiential laboratory of promotion to reading "Ti leggo" spread throughout the national territory, concluded in Chiari in 2016 during the Review of Micro-Publishing. Realization and direction of short films:
"Don't forget my name""Dance Macabre" for Istituto R.L. Montalcini Scuola secondaria di Iseo e Musical-Mente
"I was so afraid and I didn't know how to say it" for Associazione Auser Dramaturgy:
"Grey fields, red flowers" by Christian Pizzati (direction and realization of the theatrical event for the 2021/2022)
She brings to the stage as creator, director and performer:
"When I was little" on behalf of Coop. Social Cloud on psychic discomfort;
"Snow White, the giants and the clothesline" "The Gift, literary journey De Le Cose Belle"
" DIÁGNŌSIS: The Relief" ASST Franciacorta-Fondazione Sagittaria Onlus-Rete Territoriale Del Dolore e delle Cure Palliative "
"Provoco, so sono" eventi included in the Review of the South-West Brescia Library System "a book, please!
"Once upon a time... The princess who was saved" theatrical performance against gender violence for ASST Franciacorta and Alma di Penelope
"Carnevalate d'Autore evening between texts, soliloquies and songs of Rostand, Shakespeare, Trilussa..."
"Extreme Resources, Story of Judyta" written and performed by Simona Rosa
Show included in MOSAICO-CEM.IT official website of the Jewish Community of Milan in the Agenda of Memory 2019 and 2020.
Stanislaw Masseroli, Pianist
He graduated in Piano from the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory in Trieste under the guidance of maestros Igor Cognolato and Alessandro Paparo, and subsequently completed a two-year specialization course in Accompaniment at the Gaetano Donizetti Conservatory in Bergamo, studying with Maestro Samuele Pala.
He also furthered his studies at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice and attended masterclasses with internationally renowned artists such as Benedetto Lupo and Karl Bart
He has collaborated with various theatrical and musical organizations, serving as rehearsal and stage pianist in opera productions including Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, Lucie de Lammermoor, Zoraida di Granata, Rita, Viaggio a Reims, Cosi fan tutte, and Nozze di Figaro, working with conductors such as Davide Bottarelli, Pierre Dumoussaud, and Alberto Zanardi.
He has supported opera singers in their preparation for competitions, auditions, and concerts, consolidating his experience in the vocal repertoire.
As a performer, he has participated in events with various singers and chamber music in the Trio Liberty ensemble.
Always open to innovation, he has developed a patent in the field of music writing.
With humility and passion, Stanislaw Masseroli continues to devote himself to music, putting his experience at the service of the theater and the public, with the aim of enhancing, serving, and sharing the beauty of this art.
Christian Bester, Baritone
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “Impressive,” South African baritone, DR. CHRISTIAN
BESTER, made his professional debut as Schaunard in La Bohème for Pro Musica Theater in
South Africa and his European debut as Zaremba in Polin Blut for the Americke Jaro Festival in
the Czech Republic. Additional critically acclaimed roles include Major General, Gianni
Schicchi, Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva, Belcore, Enrico, Marcello, Germont, Aeneas,
Guglielmo, Escamillo, Prince Moritz Popolescu, Basil (Der Graf von Luxemburg) and Dr.
Malatesta. Orchestral engagements include the Fort Worth Symphony, Kwazulu Natal
Philharmonic Orchestra, Manitowoc Symphony, Lone Star Wind Orchestra, Allen Philharmonic,
and Dallas Symphony Orchestra League. As a Professional Fellow, Dr. Bester participated in
Songfest, one of the United States of America’s premiere festivals dedicated solely to art songs,
working with titans in the art song field, such as Graham Johnson, Libby Larson, and Martin
Katz. His research interest focuses on marginalized social groups and exposing Afrikaans Art
Song Literature to a wider audience. Two articles on Afrikaans Lyric Diction co-authored with
colleague Dr. Bronwen Forbay were published in the NATS Journal of Singing in
2022. Afrikaans Art Song Literature: Translation and Pronunciation Guide also coauthored with
Dr. Forbay, will be published by Oxford University Press in 2025. Dr. Bester served as the
Artistic Director for Voces Intimae: The Art of Song, a non-profit organization that brings Art
Songs to the Dallas/Fort Worth community. He is a sought-after recitalist, presenter and clinician
with regular presentations, performances and masterclasses throughout the United States, United
Kingdon, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. Dr. Bester currently serves as Assistant Professor
of Voice at the Greenwood School of Music at Oklahoma State University.