{{Short description|Italian conductor and pianist}} {{Infobox person | name = Speranza Scappucci | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|04|09}} | birth_place = Rome, Italy | alma_mater = Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia<br>Juilliard School of Music | occupation = Conductor and pianist | mother = }}
'''Speranza Scappucci''' (born 9 April 1973)<ref name="Bentivoglio">{{cite news | author=Leonetta Bentivoglio | title=Musica maestra! | url=http://d.repubblica.it/attualita/2016/02/08/news/speranza_scappucci_direttore_d_orchestra_musica-2956660/?refresh_ce | work=La Repubblica | date=2016-02-08 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> is an Italian conductor and pianist.
==Biography== One of four children in her family, Scappucci's father is a retired Vatican Radio journalist, and her mother is a retired English teacher from the ''Liceo ginnasio statale Terenzio Mamiani''.<ref name="Bentivoglio" /> Scappucci began to learn the piano at age 5.<ref name="Driscoll">{{cite news | author=F Paul Driscoll | title=Sound Bites: Speranza Scappucci | url=https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2015/8/Departments/Sound_Bites_%E2%80%94%C2%A0Speranza_Scappucci.html |work=Opera News| date=August 2015 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> She entered the Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia in Rome at age 10, concentrating on piano and chamber music. She graduated with a diploma from the conservatory in 1993.<ref>{{cite news | author= Farian Sabahi | title=Speranza Scappucci, professione direttrice d’orchestra | url=http://www.iodonna.it/personaggi/interviste-gallery/2016/04/05/scappucci-ragazze-studiate-la-bacchetta-del-direttore-dorchestra-non-e-quella-di-harry-potter/ | work=Corriere Della Sera | date=2016-04-05 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> She continued her music studies in the US at the Juilliard School of Music, in Juilliard's Accompanying Program. At Juilliard, fellow students asked her for assistance in Italian pronunciation, which directed her interest toward opera coaching.<ref name="Molleson">{{cite news | author=Kate Molleson | title=Scappucci can bring a better harmony to Scottish Opera| url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/13126415.Scappucci_can_bring_a_better_harmony_to_Scottish_Opera/ | work=The Herald | date=2013-10-08 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> From Juilliard, she earned a certificate in piano in 1995, and a Master of Music (M.M.) degree in performance in 1997.<ref name=Simka>{{cite news | author=Joshua Simka | title=Scappucci Debuts Conducting 'Il Turco' | url=https://my.juilliard.edu/journal/1411/speranza-scappucci-il-turco-italia | work=The Juilliard Journal | date=November 2014 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref>
==Career== Scappucci worked as a répétiteur and rehearsal pianist for such opera companies as New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Santa Fe Opera, the Music Academy of the West, Glyndebourne Festival Opera (six summer seasons),<ref name="Molleson" /> the Metropolitan Opera, and the Vienna State Opera.<ref name="Driscoll" /> She also was an assistant to Riccardo Muti over the course of 8 years at the Salzburg Festival, including work as a harpsichord player, in addition to coaching singers and rehearsing choruses from the piano.<ref name="Molleson" /> Scappucci counts Muti as one of her principal influences and mentors.<ref name="Simka" /> Her career transitioned into conducting over the course of her work as a répétiteur, without formal academic instruction in conducting.<ref name="Molleson" />
In 2012, Scappucci made her public opera conducting debut with Yale Opera at the Yale School of Music, with ''Così fan tutte'', her first ever public engagement as an opera conductor, and the first female conductor ever to conduct a Yale Opera production.<ref>{{cite press release | url=http://music.yale.edu/2011/11/10/yale-opera-announces-two-new-productions-for-2012/ | title=Yale Opera announces two new productions for 2012 | publisher=Yale School of Music | date=10 November 2011 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> She returned to Juilliard for her New York City debut as an opera conductor in November 2014.<ref name="Simka" /> Her conducting debut with Santa Fe Opera was in July 2015.<ref>{{cite news | author= James M Keller | title=Opera review: Season opens with Donizetti's ''Daughter of the Regiment''| url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/life/features/opera-review-season-opens-with-donizetti-s-daughter-of-the/article_5ab55ab7-7a42-547f-a3ab-59ee477a85fe.html | work=Santa Fe New Mexican | date=2015-07-04 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref>
Outside of the USA, Scappucci made her UK debut as an opera conductor with Scottish Opera in October 2013.<ref name="Molleson" /> At the Vienna State Opera, Scappucci was the fourth-ever female conductor,<ref>{{cite news | author=Valerio Cappelli | title=Speranza Scappucci sul podio di Vienna, prima italiana all'Opera | url=http://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/16_ottobre_12/speranza-scappucci-podio-vienna-prima-italiana-all-opera-a31f72ca-8fc9-11e6-a48d-80f1fedf0a64.shtml | work= Corriere Della Sera | date=2016-10-11 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> and the first female Italian conductor, to conduct a production at the Vienna State Opera, for her house debut as conductor in November 2016.<ref>{{cite news | author=Leonetta Bentivoglio | title=Speranza Scappucci: "La direzione non è più un mestiere da maschi" | url=http://www.repubblica.it/spettacoli/musica/2016/12/31/news/speranza_scappucci_la_direzione_non_e_piu_un_mestiere_da_maschi_-155167744/ | work=La Repubblica | date=2016-12-31 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> In February 2017, she was the first female conductor to direct the orchestra in the annual Vienna Opera Ball, as an emergency substitute for an indisposed Semyon Bychkov.<ref>{{cite news | author=Maria-Theresia Klenner | title=Opernball 2017: Mit Speranza Scappucci dirigiert erstmals eine Frau die Eröffnung | url=https://www.meinbezirk.at/wieden/lokales/opernball-2017-mit-speranza-scappucci-dirigiert-erstmals-eine-frau-die-eroeffnung-d2033180.html | work=Wiener Bezirkzeitung | date=2017-02-23 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author=Paola Mentuccia | title=Speranza Scappucci, "Ragazze, salite sul podio" | url=http://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cultura/2017/04/30/-speranza-scappucci-ragazze-salite-sul-podio_c4f1472a-4a81-4970-9658-71f276e7c131.html | work=ANSA | date=2017-05-01 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref>
In March 2017, Scappucci made her first appearance with the Opéra Royal de Wallonie.<ref>{{cite news | author=Serge Martin | title=Speranza Scappucci, une cheffe au pupitre à Liège | url=https://www.lesoir.be/90529/article/2017-04-19/speranza-scappucci-une-cheffe-au-pupitre-liege | work=Le Soir | date=2017-04-19 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> Based on her work in this production, in April 2017, the Opéra Royal de Wallonie named her its new principal conductor and music director, effective with the 2017-2018 season.<ref>{{cite news | author=Martial Giot | title=Liège: "Le Domino noir" au programme de la nouvelle saison de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie | url=https://www.rtbf.be/info/regions/liege/detail_liege-le-domino-noir-au-programme-de-la-nouvelle-saison-de-l-opera-royal-de-wallonie?id=9584057 | work=RTBF (Belgian Radio and Television) | date=2017-04-19 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> This appointment marks her first principal conductorship, and she is the first female conductor to hold this post. Scappucci concluded her music directorship of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie at the close of the 2021-2022 season.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.operaliege.be/en/actualities/end-of-maestro-speranza-scappuccis-mandate-as-music-director/ | title=End of Maestro Speranza Scappucci's mandate as Music Director | publisher=Opéra Royal de Wallonie | date=15 November 2021 | access-date=2021-11-18}}</ref>
On 18 January 2022, Scappucci conducted the first night of the new La Scala production of Bellini's ''I Capuleti e i Montecchi'', the first female Italian conductor ever to conduct a production at La Scala.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://luce.lanazione.it/speranza-scappucci-prima-direttrice-donna-alla-scala-la-musica-non-e-una-questione-di-genere/ | title=Speranza Scappucci, prima direttrice donna alla Scala: "La musica non è una questione di genere" | work=La Nazione | author=Barbara Berti | date=2022-01-22 | accessdate=2022-01-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2022/2/Reviews/MILAN__I_Capuleti_e_I_Montecchi.html | title=''I Capuleti e I Montecchi'': Milan, Teatro alla Scala (1/18/2022) | work=Opera News | author=James Imam | date=February 2022 | accessdate=2022-02-02}}</ref> In the UK, Scappucci first guest-conducted at the Royal Opera House (ROH), Covent Garden in 2022. In June 2023, the ROH announced the appointment of Scappucci as its next principal guest conductor, effective with the 2025-2026 season, the first conductor to hold the post since 1997 and the first female conductor to be named to the post.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.roh.org.uk/news/speranza-scappucci-principal-guest-conductor | title=Royal Opera House appoints Speranza Scappucci as Principal Guest Conductor | publisher=Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | date=5 June 2023 | accessdate=2023-06-05}}</ref>
Scappucci made her first commercial recording for Warner Classics, of Mozart arias with soprano Marina Rebeka.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2014/4/Recordings/Marina_Rebeka__Mozart_Arias.html | last=Malafronte | first=Judith | title=Marina Rebeka: ''Mozart Arias''| journal=Opera News| volume=78 | issue=10 | date=April 2014 | access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://speranzascappucci.com/ Official website of Speranza Scappucci] * [http://www.primafila-artists.com/kuenstler-detail.php?id_a=60 Prima Fila Artists German-language agency biography of Speranaza Scappucci] * [http://columbia-artists.com/?webid=2559 Columbia Artists agency page on Speranza Scappucci]
{{s-start}} {{s-culture}} {{succession box | title=Music Director, Opéra Royal de Wallonie | before=Paolo Arrivabeni | years=2017–2022 | after=Giampaolo Bisanti}} {{s-end}} {{Portal bar|Biography|Classical music}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scappucci, Speranza}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Rome Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Italian women conductors (music) Category:21st-century Italian conductors (music) Category:Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia alumni Category:Music Academy of the West alumni