American Conductor

Fiora Corradetti Contino was an acclaimed American opera conductor and teacher, renowned for her interpretations of Italian verismo operas from the late 19th century. She was hailed as one of the most significant figures in 20th-century opera.

At just 12 years old, she became the church organist at St. Ignatius Martyr in Long Beach. After graduating from Long Beach High School, she pursued piano performance at Oberlin College in Ohio, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in 1947. Beginning in 1958, she studied conducting at prestigious institutions, including the Conservatoire Américain in Fontainebleau, France, the École Normale in Paris, and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in Austria. Her teachers included renowned figures such as Nadia Boulanger and Hans Swarowsky.

In her late twenties, Contino founded the Amherst Community Opera in Massachusetts. Her career later included directing roles with several organizations, such as Opera Illinois in Peoria, where she served from 1986 to 2005, and the Aspen Choral Institute. She also made significant contributions to academia, serving as a professor and chair of the choral department at Indiana University.

In 1998, Contino made her New York conducting debut with a performance of Mascagni’s Iris at Alice Tully Hall with Teatro Grattacielo. The New York Times praised her work, describing it as a “luscious and exultant orchestral performance.” Throughout her career, she appeared as a guest conductor with prominent opera companies, orchestras, and festivals, including the Aspen Music Festival, Anchorage Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Pittsburgh Symphony, and San Francisco Opera. She was also a frequent conductor at the Temple University Music Festival in Ambler, Pennsylvania.

Contino held faculty positions at Bowling Green State University (1963–1966), the Peabody Institute (1978–1979), and the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, she operated a studio in New York City, where she mentored numerous opera singers and conductors.