Domenico
Tondo

Since he was very young, he had the fortune to attend great Masters and Artists either

for studies and profession. He begins piano lessons under the guidance of Prof. Velia Gai

Mennucci ( pupil of a pupil of Liszt ) and from the age of 10 he had the opportunity to work

at many Opera houses with great singers (R. Kabaivanska, Maria Chiara, Adelina Romano, E.

Marton, Olivia Stapp, B. Giaiotti, L. Pavarotti, R. Panerai, P. Washington, G. Dimitrova, P.

Domingo, G. Aragall, A. Protti, G. Cecchele, N. Martinucci, G. Giacomini, A. Sardinero, S..Carroli, G. Giorgetti, C.Cava, O. Garaventa and many others artists in various Opera Festival ). Intending to explore a deep knowledge in Italian Opera repertoire traditions, he worked at Opera Theatre in many professional roles: choir singer, lecture assistent, concert pianist, stage director, training teacher, choir conductor, conducting assistent.

At the age of 22, he was involved by M. Silvano Bussotti ( Puccini Festival artistic director_Torre del Lago Puccini ) to train and direct the stable choir of the renowned main Festival (a role he held until 1985). This activity gave him a great success. For this reason, in 1983, he was awarded with Puccini Prize as a young Opera House promise. This experience will give him the opportunity to work alongside Masters such as Romano Gandolfi /Teatro Alla Scala, Edgardo Egaddi / Regio di Parma and Montecarlo di Monaco Theatre (whose directory in retirement, proposes him to take his place), the conductor Nicola Rescigno (who wanted him at the Dallas Opera House). Moreover at that time, for seven years, he was also asked to be part of the historical choir of the "Chapel of Pisa Cathedral, a very prestigiose role, studying and performing Gregorian style works as well as music by the greatest composers active in '500 /' 600, working with M. Bruno Pizzi (then permanent choir master at the Genoa Opera theater ).

He than decided to apply for Composition "traditional course" degree, which he accomplished in just three years (instead of 10) while attending at the same time Medicine and Surgery degree studing at the University of Pisa.

He took his Diploma degree in “Choral Conducting and Choir Direction "at the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan and in" Composition "at the L. Cherubini Conservatory in Florence.

With this remarkable artistic and cultural “baggage” he started, in 1981, the academic courses as a Conducting student in Milan at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatorium with M ° L. Rosada with whom he broadens and deepens above all the lyric-operatic repertoire. Here at Milan he also started violin studies after meeting the violinist Paolo Borciani (first violin of the great quartetto Italiano) . In 1983, still in Milan, he made his official debut as conductor in various concerts at the helm of the historic Milan Angelicum Orchestra with Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli first violin concertmaster (brother of the great pianist Arturo B. M.).

He then deepens the conducting studies focusing in classical-romantic repertoire with Masters such as:

(Florence) P. Bellugi (L. Bernstein school), (Geneva) J. Bodmer ( H. Scherchen school), Herbert von Karajan (Salzburg). In 1983 he conducted the first ever performans “with orchestra”, in modern time, of the Messa di Gloria in F Major by P. Mascagni enjoying great success. In 1985 he won the I.S.A. International conducting competition. In 1986 he obtained the "Conducting Diploma" at the S. Cecilia Conservatorium in Rome with full marks. In 1987 he was selected as Master in Orchestral Conducting held by Maestro J. Kalmar (student of the "great School of Vienna ”by M° Hans Swarowsky) at the Vienna State Conservatory, specializing in analysis and symphonic repertoire conducting, obtaining the "Diploma with Merit in Orchestral Conducting”.

He has been teaching singing, chamber music, composition and conducting for many years.

In 1999 he won the National State Competition as chair of Orchestral training repertory in State

Conservatories with the highest score in the national ranking in the "Analysis" and "Concertation" tests and Direction”conducting Tchaikovsky's IV Symphony.

He than started to lectures in Music conservatorium, and also took care of training a young future orchestra professors in various Italian State Conservatories. Since 2004, at the Mantova Music Conservatorium, he was entrusted with the musical direction of the Eighteenth-century Musical Theater Laboratory entitled and directed by famous "basso buffo" Enzo Dara with whom he worked for some years on young singers professional training; all this aimed to give students the opportunity to be extremely prepared to perform as opera singers in the prestigious Bibiena Academic Theater in Mantua, one of the most representative of that time.

Since 1990, under his direction, various now famous opera singers have started their brilliant career, including: Alberto Gazale, Eleonora Buratto, Claudio Sgura, Enrico Casari and many others.

He has worked with internationally renowned performers and singers, Orchestras and Symphonic Institutions, Japanese, American, Austrian, Russian, interpreting a vast lyric and symphonic repertoire.