Rising Belgo-American conductor Giulio Cilona was recently appointed Kapellmeister at the Deutsche Oper Berlin where his schedule will include performances La Bohème, Turandot, La Gioconda, Il viaggio a Reims, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Le Nozze di Figaro and Die Zauberflöte during the 2023/2024 season. As 2nd prize winner of the International Opera Conducting Competition 2022 in the Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liège and conducting fellow at the Dirigentenforum (Deutscher Musikrat) since 2021, Cilona previously worked as a Kapellmeister at the Hannover Staatsoper where he has conducted over 90 performances, including the new production of Le Nozze di Figaro (live-streamed on Operavision), Dialogues des Carmélites, Tosca, La Bohème, Così fan Tutte, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, L’Elisir d’Amore, Hänsel und Gretel, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Der Vampyr (H. Marschner), Kalman’s Die Zirkusprinzessin, Stephen Sondheim Sweeney Todd and the German premiere of Leonard Evers’ Humanoid. 

Recent guest engagements include the new production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Teatro Aligheri di Ravenna and Teatro Sociale di Rovigo, Offenbach’s L’Ile de Tulipatan at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie (Liège), Peter Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King / Miss Donnitshorne’s Maggot at Staatstheater Mainz, La Donna del Lago at Buxton International Festival and his symphonic debut with the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse. Future operatic and symphonic engagements at the Opéra National de Lorraine–Nancy and at the Teatro Verdi di Trieste will follow during the next season.

Cilona completed his studies in orchestra conducting at the Mozarteum Universität Salzburg with Bruno Weil and was awarded the Bernhard-Paumgartner-Medaille by the Stiftung Mozarteum in 2019, given yearly to one single exceptionally gifted student of the University. Already during his studies, he worked as an assistant and repetiteur for the Salzburger Easter and Summer Festspiele in collaboration with the Dresden Semperoper, and as an assistant to the General Music Director Adrian Kelly at the Salzburg Landestheater. Cilona also overtook numerous opera performances at the Mozarteum such as Alcina, La Finta Semplice, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Philippe Boesmans’ opera Reigen with the Österreichisches Ensemble für neue Musik as well as repeated collaborations with the Bad-Reichenhall Philharmonie and workshops with the Staatskapelle Karlsruhe and the Neubrandenburg Philharmonie.

Giulio also studied at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover (Master Piano Konzertfach) and at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel, where he graduated with a Magna cum Lauda mention on his 3 Bachelor’s degrees in Piano, Conducting, Composition, Counterpoint and Fugue. From the age of 13, he was part of the exceptional young talent program Institut Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie (Namur, Belgium).

As a composer, Cilona premiered his Concertino for piano and orchestra at age 18 at the Europa Musa Festival, performed several of his chamber music and solo pieces, and recently conducted several of his compositions at the Théâtre Royal de Namur with the Orchestre de La Concorde and choir in a total formation of over 200 musicians.

As a pianist soloist, he performed Gershwin Concerto in F  (live-streamed on EuroClassical Planet) among other piano concertos with orchestra, and took part in several piano competitions and was awarded prizes at Aarhus International Piano Competition, Concours Andrée Charlier, Prix des Jeunes de Verviers, Concours Rotary Breughel (Bruxelles, Flagey Studio4) and Concours Cavatine after which he was offered a recital tour in Morocco at age 11.

As parallel instrumental practice, Giulio studied harpsichord and organ and has a broad interest in historical instrumental practice. He took part as a continuo player in numerous oratorios and baroque operas. Giulio performed on many renowned instruments such as the organs in the Cathedrâle Saint-Nicolas de Genève, the ‘Franz Liszt Organ’ at the Fribourg Cathedral, Basilica San Lorenzo di Firenze, etc. He also studied violin and trumpet in his early years.

Giulio Cilona speaks French, Italian, English and German fluently.

 

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Photos by Barbara Rigon©

Critics

  • Nozze di Figaro, Hannover (2022)

Was Dirigent Giulio Cilona an diesem Abend der Staatsoper Hannover mit Mozarts Figaro an musikalische Warhaftigkeit erreicht hat, das lässt vermuten, dass man einen so guten Dirigenten wohl kaum lange in Hannover halten können. Cilona zeigte ein außerordentliches Gespür für das richtige Pointieren, Phrasieren und Artikulieren dieser Musik. Er spitzte genauso zu, wie er perfekt ausbalancierte. (Cellesche Zeitung, 22.01.2022) – Le Nozze di Figaro, Premiere in Hannover.

Translation: What the conductor Giulio Cilona achieved in terms of musical authenticity on this evening at the Hanover State Opera with Mozart’s Figaro suggests that such a great conductor can hardly be kept in Hanover for long. Cilona showed an extraordinary feeling for the correct accents, phrasing and articulation of this music. He brings in spark but also a perfect sound balance. (Cellesche Zeitung, 22.01.2022)

https://www.kulturfeder.de/rezension/hochzeit-des-figaro-hannover-1006580.html?fbclid=IwAR0RM5drRymLCeGn0nCWgx-Vy9qnTf2RHVuEU_AZlYdBWupZKYmAJD8fkno

Aber nicht nur auf der Bühne werden musikalische Glanzstunden geboten, auch aus dem Orchestergraben tönt es geradezu fantastisch. Dort begeistert Giulio Cilona am Dirigentenpult durch seine außerordentliche Feinfühligkeit, mit der er das Niedersächsische Staatsorchester durch Mozarts Partitur führt. Das Orchester spielt klanglich strahlend und elegant, doch ebenso markant in den Phrasierungen, was bereits in der Ouvertüre deutlich wird und das Publikum auf einen musikalisch wertvollen Opernabend vorbereitet. (Kultur Feder, 24.01)

Translation: Not only on stage musical highlights are offered, it also sounds fantastic from the orchestra pit. There Giulio Cilona inspires at the conductor’s podium with his extraordinary sensitivity with which he leads the Lower Saxony State Orchestra through Mozart’s score. The orchestra plays brilliantly and elegantly. And the phrasing is just as striking, which clearly already from the Overture prepares the audience for a musically valuable evening at the opera. (Kultur Feder, 24.01)

Die musikalische Seite der Aufführung besticht maßgeblich durch das souveräne Dirigat von Giulio Cilona. Die Tempi sind extrem schnell genommen. Dabei wird jedweder überzogene Hochdruck oder eine etwaige Atemlosigkeit der Sänger oder Orchestermusiker vermieden. Vielmehr gelingt eine Dynamik in Spiel und Gesang, die die komisch-verwirrenden mit den verstörenden Elementen des Geschehens auf überraschende Weise verbinden. Es ist frappierend zu hören, dass eine solche hohe Meisterschaft von den Solisten und vom Orchester den gesamten Abend über durchgehalten werden kann. Das Niedersächsische Staatsorchester Hannover übertrifft sich hier selbst. (O-Ton, 20.01)

Translation: The musical side of the performance captivates significantly through the sovereign conducting of Giulio Cilona. The tempos are taken extremely quickly, yet any high pressure or possible breathlessness of the singers or orchestra musicians is avoided. Rather, a dynamic in playing and singing succeeds, which combines the comically confusing with the disturbing elements of the action in a surprising way. It is amazing to hear that such a high level of mastery can be maintained by the soloists and the orchestra throughout the evening. The Lower Saxony State Orchestra in Hanover surpasses itself here. (O-Ton, 20.01)

  • Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Teatro Sociale di Rovigo/Teatro Aligheri di Ravenna (2023)

La prima componente, assolutamente fondamentale, è la scattante direzione musicale, tutta all’insegna di una visione effervescente del capolavoro rossiniano, che porta in Italia un talento emergente, quello di Giulio Cilona […] Presiedendo anche al fortepiano – è anche un valido concertista […] il giovane maestro belga/americano ci porge una concertazione di prodigiosa teatralità: nitida, luminosa e arguta, ricca di belle annotazioni strumentali, molto attenta al lavoro dei cantanti. (Gilberto Mion, teatro.it)

Translation: The first component, absolutely fundamental, was the snappy musical direction, all in the name of an effervescent vision of Rossini’s masterpiece, which brings an emerging talent to Italy, that of Giulio Cilona […] Also presiding over the fortepiano – he is also a very efficient recitative performer […] the young Belgian/American maestro offers us a performance of prodigious theatricality: clear, bright and witty, full of beautiful instrumental intentions, yet very attentive to the work of the singers. (Gilberto Mion, teatro.it)

Eccelente la prova di Giulio Cilona, maestro concertatore e direttore d’orchestra, che ha coniugato l’accompagnamente dei recitativi al clavicembalo con una direzione precisa e fortemente espressiva, unendo chiarezza del gesto e gusto del fraseggio. L’Orchestra Regionale Filarmonia Veneta e il Coro Lirico Veneto hanno senza dubbio tratto vantaggio da una guida tanto valida. (Sofia Teresa Rici, Il Gazzetino)

Excellent performance by Giulio Cilona, conductor and fortepianist, who combined the accompaniment of the recitatives on the Fortepiano with a clear and very expressive conducting; uniting clearness of the gesture and taste in phrasing. The Orchestra Regionale Filarmonia Veneta and the Coro Lirico Veneto were most definitely advantaged by such a valid guidance. (Sofia Teresa Rici, Il Gazzetino)

Al suo debutto italiano, Giulio Cilona offre una lettura scrupolosa della partitura. Evita ogni contaminazione con gli eccessi della tradizione post romantica e verista, ma non cede nemmeno alla moda del Rossini barochizzato o magari iper-veloce. L’iperbole ritmica viene attenuata, senza per questo rinunciare alla vivacità scattante e al ritmo teatrale; il cantabile risulta disteso e ben assecondato, le simmetrie rossiniane sono rese con nitidezza. Si intuisce una concertazione accurata, che riesce a ricavare il meglio dall’Orchestra Regionale Filarmonia Veneta. Impegnato anche al fortepiano, Cilona contribuisce inoltre a rendere vari ed espressivi i recitativi degli interpreti. Ne esce un Rossini che coglie con spontaneità e misura il passaggio del Barbiere dal Settecento all’effervescenza del nuovo secolo, con fraseggi incisivi, attenzione ai dettagli timbrici, taglio comico ben calibrato e non privo di eleganti aperture liriche. (Roberto Mori, Connessi all’Opera)

  • Donna del Lago, Buxton (July 2022)

From a musical perspective this was a Donna del Lago to treasure (Bachtrack.com)

Giulio Cilona leads the Norther Chamber Orchestra in a well-paced account of the score […] Cilona imbuing the performance with energy where needed, but also giving the arias space to breathe as necessary. If only the production itself kept up with the virtuosic standards of the music this would be a top-notch realisation of Rossini. (Classical Source, Curtis Rogers)

Audio & Videos

Le Nozze di Figaro – Premiere in Hannover State Opera 20.01.22 – Livestream on Operavision

Livestreamed Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTwwp9BIPyQ&t

Conductor video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUPNWlCxby4

Haydn – Piano Sonata No.46 in E Major (I) – Recording in Belgium – Giulio Cilona, Piano.

Gershwin – Concerto in F – Norbert Nozy, Conductor – Giulio Cilona, Piano.

M.Ravel “Miroirs”: 4. ‘Alborada del Gracioso’ – Recording in Namur – Giulio Cilona, Piano.