tefano Seghedoni was not like the other Italian kids from Modena. He had no dreams of being a star on the soccer field. Instead, Seghedoni became interested in and started studying the powerful art form of opera. He began his musical education spending countless hours learning composition, conducting and playing the piano.

Now Seghedoni, 36, is a conductor at the Academia Del Teatro, the theater academy of Cagli, Italy. He will be conducting two productions during the summer season: The Tavern of Marechiaro and Don Pasquale. The Tavern of Marechiaro was composed by Giovanni Paisiello (1768). It is a comedic opera that examines two couples from different social classes. Gaetano Donizetti composed Don Pasquale (1843), a comic opera focusing on romance and marriage.

When he is conducting, Seghedoni acts as the head coach of a musical team. Mirka Rosciani is the vocal coach seated behind the piano, helping key singers practice and perfect their parts. Rosciani has been working for the past year with a 28-year-old Canadian singer, Amy Gasparetto. Gasparetto has a role in nearly every production this summer at the academy.

On this team, however, no one person, including Seghedoni, has the final say. He advocates a collaborative process between the cast, crew, producer and conductor.

“This is a small academy where you can really grow because the teachers are fantastic and there are only 10 singers in the entire school,” said Gasparetto, the Canadian.

The cohesive nature of the academy’s cast and crew is a crucial recipe for success. Because the premiere of The Tavern of Marechiaro is only a few days away, Seghedoni, Rosciani, Gasparetto and the rest of the crew begin at 10 a.m., working out the musical problems of the production. Between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., the team breaks for lunch. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., there is a stage rehearsal, which includes a mix of acting and singing. On a day like today, 7 p.m. is an early break from the grind of the daily practice. In a few days, the cast and crew will fine-tune the intricacies of the opera and conduct dress rehearsals, not stopping some nights until midnight.

While taking a break from chatting with his cast and crew, Seghedoni reflected on how far he has come in the opera world. He studied the piano for many years and had a job as a pianist and vocal coach in many theaters in Europe, including France, Germany and Italy. His developing skill in opera enabled him to travel later to Japan, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine.

One of Seghedoni’s biggest achievements occurred when he worked with one of the “Three Tenors,” Placido Domingo. They collaborated in 1995 in Modena in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Mirella Freni’s role in Bizet’s Carmen. Seghedoni and Domingo did a production of the renowned opera Fedora, by Umberto Giordano in honor of Freni.

When he composes music, Seghedoni usually works alone.

“I need loneliness to think about what I’m doing,” said Seghedoni over a coffee after a grueling day of practice.

Luckily for the theater academy of Cagli, Seghedoni can rapidly shift his focus back to the team effort for operas. Lately, he has been putting in long hours with his cast and crew, and the stress is beginning to wear on him. But this is nothing new to a professional like Seghedoni.

“The worst moment is right now,” said Seghedoni. “It’s very stressful right before the opera. I’m especially happy after everything has gone in its own best way.”

Seghedoni knows that conducting is a difficult business. “I want to continue to work in this world,” he said. “I’m lucky because it is very difficult to work, especially in Italy, where there are many financial problems.”

Opportunities to work are limited because many theaters and operas are closed. Seghedoni mentioned that many of his colleagues have quit the theater and changed careers in order to get paying jobs.

But Seghedoni still has his opportunities like those in Cagli. Seghedoni will don his tuxedo to conduct Gasparetto and the rest of his cast with his bacchetta, or baton, in hand. “When you’re conducting, you think about what you’re doing at this moment.”

Story by Kevin Zazzali
Photos by Kimberly Shultz
Video by Melissa Schantz
Web Design bt Kristen Cesiro

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