A few words about...
Conducted by Stefano Visconti since 2007, the Chorus of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo is composed of forty singers. In addition to the Opéra de Monte-Carlo season, the Chorus collaborates closely with the Principality’s other cultural entities such as the Ballets de Monte-Carlo (with productions including Faust in 2022 and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges in 2023) and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo (notably Dejanire in 2022).
The Chorus is regularly invited to take part in festivals, tours and opera seasons, as well as in Opéra de Monte-Carlo productions abroad (such as La Bohème and La Fille du régiment at the Royal Opera of Oman, Lakmé at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Carmen and L’elisir d’amore at the Chorégies d’Orange, a gala dedicated to Rossini alongside Cecilia Bartoli and the Musiciens du Prince – Monaco at the Carmen Würth Forum…). The Choir has also appeared at the Vienna Staatsoper as part of the Rossini Mania (2022) and Barocchissimo (2024) festivals.
Apart from opera, the Chorus of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo also sings a wide repertoire covering all genres, from sacred music to crossover repertoire designed to appeal to a wide audience.
Some of the latest projects include La Traviata and the Rossini in Venice gala at the Salzburg Whitsun Festival.
Born in Livorno (ltaly) in 1960, Stefano Visconti studied the piano and then choral conducting with Fosco Corti and Roberto Gabbiano, as well as orchestra conducting with Piero Bellugi and Giancarlo Andretta. He was appointed choirmaster at Opéra de Monte-Carlo in 2007. Before this he was choirmaster at the Teatro Goldoni, Livorno (1991-2001), Choirmaster at the Opéra-Théâtre d’Avignon (2001-2007), as well as Choirmaster at the Festival Puccini, Torre del Lago (1999-2015). From 1984 to 2001 he conducted the Guido Monaco Polyphonic Choir of Livorno which, under his direction, won several national awards (Vittorio Veneto, Arezzo and Florence competitions). In 2000 he founded the Chamber Choir of Tuscany, formed of professionals. He directed the reconstitution of the complete sacred works of Giuseppe Cambini for soloists, choir, and orchestra. Since 2008 he has conducted the choirs of the Sanxay Lyrical Evenings. He is the artistic and music director of the Monte Carlo Chamber Choir. He has made several recordings with Foné, Agora and Kikko Classics, in particular several of Mascagni’s operas (L’amico Fritz, I Rantzau, Lodoletta, Guglielmo Ratcliff, Silvano, Cavalleria rusticana, Iris and Sì). Since 2017 he has directed the coordination of the choirs for the Chorégies d’Orange festival.
Stefano Visconti
CHOirMASTER
Aurelio Scotto
Pianist/Assistant to the chorus master/ Consultant for the musical organisation
Colette Audat
CHORUS MANAGER/LIBRARIAN
Sopranos I
Galia Bakalov
Antonella Cesario
Chiara Iaia
Giovanna Minniti
Felicity Murphy
RONJA WEYHENMEYER
Sopranos II
Rossella Antonacci
VITTORIA GIACOBAZZI
Valérie Marret
Letizia Pianigiani
Laura Maria Romo Contreras
Mezzosopranos
Géraldine Mélac
CARLA MATTIOLI
Suma Mellano
Federica Spatola
Altos
ORNELLA CORVI
MARIA-Elisabetta De Giorgi
Catia Pizzi
MARIA CARMEN CIUFFREDA
Rossella Tortora
Tenors I
Walter Barbaria
Francis Joseph BIYONG NGUENE
Lorenzo Caltagirone
Thierry Di Meo
Vincenzo Di Nocera
Nicolo’ La Farciola
Tenors II
FABIO MARZI
ADOLFO SCOTTO DI LUZIO
SALVATORE TAIELLO
Andrea CIVETTA
Manuel MURABITO
BarItonEs
Przemyslaw Baranek
Fabio Bonavita
Vincenzo Cristofoli
Giulio CECCARELLI
Basses
stefano arnaudo
daniele del bue
Edgardo Rinaldi
Matthew Thistleton
Giuseppe ZEMA