Alvise Casellati

Alvise Casellati (born in Padua on March 20, 1973) is an Italian conductor.

Alvise Maria Casellati, born in Padua, is the son of Maria Elisabetta Alberti and Giambattista Casellati, both attorneys.

Music was always part of his family tradition: his great-great-grandfather received an Honorary Diploma in Composition from the prestigious Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna based on Rossini's recommendation, while his great-grandfather was President of the Venice Conservatory of Music, a friend with the Wagner family, Arrigo Boito, Wolf-Ferrari etc. Alvise also fell in love with music and, at age 9, started studying violin and was later admitted to the Conservatory of Music in Padua, where he holds a scholarship for all 10 years of his attendance.

Nonetheless, his family values place more importance on traditional school than all other kinds of studying.

He knows the rules and adheres to them, but without abandoning his true passion: music.

With great dedication, he goes to classical high school (gymnasium) and Law School while attending the Conservatory of Music.

He graduated as Maestro of Violin in 1994 and was awarded a Juris Doctor degree in 1998.

In 2000, he decided to move to New York to specialize.

In 2001, he received a master's degree from Columbia University (LL.M. at Columbia Law School), publishing a thesis on copyright in the Columbia VLA Journal of Law & the Arts.

In 2002, he passed the Bar in Italy and New York and in 2003, is formally admitted in both countries.

This article was later translated into Italian and published in the "Diritto d'Autore" (2003) (the Italian "Copyright" Review).

2003, he was admitted to the Bars of New York and Italy.

In 2003, he became Secretary General of the Foundation for Italian Art and Culture in New York and in 2006 Managing Director.

In 2003, he was General Counsel of ACP, an American private real estate investment fund headquartered in New York (group which is valued above 1 billion dollars).

In 2007, the turning point: urgently hospitalized for a serious health issue, he realized that "if there is a dream in life, one does not have to wait for the right moment, occasion or the proper opportunity to fulfill it. Because that moment may never come."

He immediately moves and enters the Juilliard School of Music of New York and after 4 years, he opts for part-time in the real estate fund so that he have more time to devote to orchestral conducting.

Drawn to conducting at the Musikhochschule in Vienna with Leopold Hager, from 2007 to 2011, he participates in the "Orchestral Conducting" class at the Juilliard School of Music in New York with Maestro Vincent La Selva.

In 2009, he studied privately with Maestro Piero Bellugi and becomes his Assistant for a Conducting Masterclass in New York in June 2010.

Between 2009 and 2012, it is of great significance the mentorship of M° Piero Bellugi, of whom he is also assistant in New York.

In March 2011, he conducted his first Italian concert, at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, on occasion of the 150th Anniversary of the Unity of Italy.

In 2012, he decided to leave his legal career and devote himself to conducting full-time.

After his degree in violin with M° Guido Furini at the Conservatorio di Musica "C. Pollini" in Padova, he further specializes with M° Felice Cusano and M° Taras Gabora.

He also receives a Juris Doctor degree from the Università degli Studi di Padova, with a thesis on European Copyright Law and the overcoming of the territoriality principle because of the new technologies.

He further receives a master's degree from Columbia University in New York (Columbia Law School), focusing on copyright.

Furthermore, he participates in the "Executive Management" course at Harvard University.

Assistant to M° Gustav Kuhn for the season 2012–2013 at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl (Austria), after his debut in Italy at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, where he conducts the Orchestra and Choir in the Concert for the 150th Anniversary of the Unity of Italy.

He is a guest to important music festivals: Ravello Festival, where he conducts for 3 years the famous Dawn Concert, the Venice Festival, The Two Worlds Spoleto Festival, Valle d'Itria Festival, La Versiliana, Emilia Romagna Festival, Ljubljana Festival, Mittelfest and Baltic Musical Seasons.

As Resident Conductor of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova, 2014 he debuts in opera, conducting Il Barbiere di Siviglia of Rossini and further L'Elisir d'Amore of Donizetti.

He was Director of the Ensemble Opera Studio (EOS) at Teatro Carlo Felice, a project where 30 young singers were selected – among more than 600 candidates from around the world – to work as staff singers at the theater.

From that moment, he has collaborated with the most important Italian theaters (Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova, Teatro Filarmonico in Verona, Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari).

He holds important collaborations with many orchestras:

As of 2017, he is President and Music Director of Central Park Summer Concerts, an organization that produces an annual event called "Opera Italiana is in the Air" at Central Park, New York, and other cities in the US, to promote Italian opera especially among the young generation.

"Opera Italiana is in the Air" has the goal of bringing Italian Opera back to its former standing of POP Music; in other words, music that belongs to everybody and takes it away from the false perception that Opera is music that belongs to the élite class only.

On July 6, 2017 Alvise Casellati conducted an orchestra composed of 56 musicians and a cast of four soloists in a selection of arias and symphonic pieces by Rossini, Verdi and Puccini.

As of 2017 he collaborates with the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari on an Educational Project, whereby he conducts programs specifically designed to bring to the theater students of all ages (primary, secondary and superior schools).

In 2017 he conducts "Aladino e La Sua Lampada" by Nicola Scardicchio and Fledermaus by Johann Strauss Jr. and in 2018 Il Gatto con Gli Stivali of Nicola Scardicchio at the presence of more than 20.000 students and a "family concert".

On July 2, 2018 he conducted an orchestra of 60 musicians and a cast of five soloists in a selection of arias and symphonic pieces of Rossini, Verdi and Puccini.