"What we get of opera is profound and very contemporary"
interview
R
Rachel Einarsson4 min read|1. October 2023
He is 33 years old and travels around Europe conducting both opera and large orchestral works.
He trained in Denmark and Italy, and among his mentors is Riccardo Muti.
When the Italian conductor Vincenzo Milletarì visited Denmark in August 2023 to conduct “Tosca” with
Den Jyske Opera in Aarhus, Klassisk bureau was given an excellent opportunity for an interview.
Here it is.
Meet the busy, young and passionate conductor who loves his dog, runs for the pleasure of it, misses the silence during the coronavirus pandemic and is otherwise completely focused on his orchestra during a concert.
He seems like a man in his prime. He has energy, self-confidence and focus. And drive. A cool attitude. And a lively and direct contact with his orchestra.
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The young Italian conductor Vincenzo Milletarì visited Aarhus in August, when this interview took place. There he was to conduct Den Jyske Opera through “Tosca” - a major set-up with the world-famous tenor José Cura, who sang the lead role at the premiere.
Vincenzo Milletarìs' next job is in Ankara, where for the first time he will stand in front of the CSO (Cumhurbaskanligi Senfoni Orkestrasi). The main story there is Saint-Saens’ “Cello Concerto No. 1”, before the journey continues to Prague, where he is to conduct “Rigoletto” at the state opera later in the autumn. Before the last performance in Prague, at the beginning of December he has also been in France to conduct Beethoven's “Piano concerto no. 5” at the Opéra de Tours in the city of Tours. That is how it goes when you are a skilled freelance conductor. And he seems to like the kind of freedom, variety and constant change that characterise life as a guest conductor for many different orchestras around Europe. “Yes, I like it that way. I am used to it, but I also have to like it”, he says with a mix of pleasure and realism.
It seems obvious to agree with him as one gets to know a little about his working conditions, which include a lot of unpredictable locations, different people and music across a wide spectrum. “It is fantastic to be a conductor. You do not feel tired when you are in it, when you are in the situation”, he explains. And that is despite the fact that there have sometimes been several concerts, each with its own short deadline, at roughly the same time.
Vincenzo Milletarì remembers a very concentrated schedule of concerts in Sweden and Denmark almost simultaneously. An orchestra rehearsal in Stockholm in the morning and then an orchestra rehearsal in Copenhagen in the evening. “In a situation like that I feel like a lion! But when it is done and over with, I just relax completely and sleep a lot", he says with a slight shake of the head. This story also reminds him of his lifestyle, especially before the coronavirus pandemic.
“Before the pandemic I did many more performances, but I was also less happy. Now I am lucky enough to be in the situation where I can choose what I want to do. I no longer accept every offer, but think it over and choose what really interests me. Now I focus much more on a life in balance, where I do not overwork as I used to”, he says.
In fact he rather liked the coronavirus lockdown. Perhaps because he learned something from it. “I did not spend much time with my family, because I was afraid of infecting them. So I was very much alone with myself in my summer house, and I loved it. It is actually terrible to say, but I simply slept so well during that time. I came from a very stressful routine: At 4.00 in the morning I got up, the taxi was waiting outside at 4.30 and then it was just work until 23.00. And I also stayed in a different hotel every night”, he remembers, with no sign of wanting that pace back.
When Vincenzo Milletarì is off work, he loves being with his dog, Tano, who is actually named after Gaetano Donizetti (Tano is short for Gaetano). And he drives as much as possible between his assignments so that he can have Tano with him. In addition, Vincenzo Milletarì is also an active sportsman and a dedicated recreational runner. A form of activity that complements the feeling of freedom he senses in his freelance life as a professional conductor.
Read the rest of the interview at Klassisk bureau here: https://klassiskbureau.com/vincenzo-milletar-en-energisk-dirigent-der-savner-stilheden-under-corona