Recognized as an “energetic” performer by The New York Times, Italian conductor Christian Capocaccia has distinguished himself as an artist of keen insight and musicianship. His ease on the podium and comfortable coaching style with musicians and singers have made him a favorite with orchestras, opera companies and vocalists.

The 2022-2023 season is Maestro Capocaccia’s first season as Artistic and Music Director of both Syracuse Opera and Tri-Cities Opera. He leads performances of The Medium and Le nozze di Figaro.  In the summer of 2023, he debuts Pagliacci at the Pittsburgh Festival Opera, followed by the rarely performed La Vestale with Teatro Grattacielo, where he also conducted Zandonai’s Giulietta e Romeo in 2022. He made a company debut conducting the inaugural production of L’Orfeo by Monteverdi with Orpheus PDX.

The 2021-2022 season saw Maestro Capocaccia guiding Syracuse Opera out of the pandemic into a strategic partnership with Tri-Cities Opera in La Cenerentola. Under his baton Syracuse Opera presented Der Schauspieldirektor and The Ballad of the Brown King.

Christian Capocaccia’s 2019-2022 season as Artistic and Music Director of Syracuse Opera was interrupted by the pandemic after he conducted Così fan tutte, and Candide. Other credits include a new production of Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Curtis Institute of Music and his debut with The Württembergische Philharmonie conducting in both Stuttgart and Reutlingen. He returned to Italy for a production of L’elisir d’amore with performances throughout Tuscany.

In Mr. Capocaccia’s first year as Artistic and Music Director of Syracuse Opera he conducted Macbeth, Don Giovanni, and The Threepenny Opera. He also made his debut with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2018 he musically directed Pittsburgh Opera’s production of L’elisir d’amore following a very well-received debut conducting Verdi’s La Traviata.

In recent seasons, Maestro Capocaccia divided his time between the pit and the podium, fostering relationships with companies in Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and abroad. Prior to being named Artistic Director of Syracuse Opera, he conducted performances of Carmen, Rigoletto, and La Bohème, and led many performances with Symphoria. He has a long-standing relationship with the city of Pittsburgh, having served as guest conductor and cover on the staff of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and guest conductor of the Pittsburgh Opera. Maestro Cappocaccia conducted in Italy with AsLiCo, now OperaLombardia in I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Les contes d'Hoffmann, and debuted with Welsh National Oper, conducting Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux.

In a previous collaboration, Christian Capocaccia conducted Haydn’s Orlando Paladino at the Manhattan School of Music. As a guest conductor he has appeared in the United States and in Europe leading the Orchestra di Roma e del Lazio, Moscow Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto, Orchestra Città Aperta, International Chamber Ensemble, Orchestra da Camera delle Marche and Orchestra Sinfonica di Pesaro among others. He held positions as Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Opera, Resident Conductor of the Fischer Center at Bard College, Assistant Conductor of the Indiana University Opera and IU New Music Ensemble, Adjunct Professor and Visiting Conductor with Montclair State University’s Opera Department, and Assistant Professor of conducting at the State University of New York College at Fredonia. He is a former Aspen Music Festival Conducting Fellow, where he studied with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin.

Born in Rome, he attended the Santa Cecilia Music Conservatory studying under Paolo Ciociola and completed his studies with world-renowned violinist Nina Beilina in New York. He studied composition under Boris Porena and Luciano Pelosi and conducting with Piero Bellugi and Donato Renzetti. A graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington under David Effron, he has participated in Master classes with Herbert Blomstedt, Gustav Meier, and Leonard Slatkin.