Stefano Montanari is the Principal Conductor of the Orchestra del Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari. Hailed for his unique musicality and unmatched flair, he graduated in violin and piano with the highest honors and obtained a diploma in chamber music with Pier Narciso Masi from the Pier Narciso Masi de Accademia Musicale di Firenze and with Carlo Chiarappa from the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana.

Formerly concert master of Accademia Bizantina, with which with which he took part in numerous productions playing with some of the greatest Baroque conductors, he continues to combine his activity as a conductor with that of soloist.

Stefano Montanari is a regular guest in major theaters and musical institutions such as Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Opéra de Lyon, DNO Nederlandse Opera, Bolshoï Theater and Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Edinburgh Festival, Warsaw Filharmonia Narodowa, Teatro La Fenice di Venezia, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro San Carlo in Naples; festival internazionale Donizetti Opera de Bergame, Arena di Verona, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Regio Torino, Ravenna Festival, laVerdi - Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano and I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano.

Recent engagements include Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Wiener Staatsoper; Così fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro and La Fille du régiment at the Bayerische Staatsoper; Roberto Devereux, Maria Stuarda and Anna Bolena at the Grand Théâtre de Genève; Les Brigands at the Opéra National de Paris; Roméo et Juliette at the Staatsoper Berlin; and Fidelio et Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien, at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari.

A multi-faceted musician, he took part in the creation of Michieletto’s opera-film Gianni Schicchi. He teaches at the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado and is the author of the “Baroque Violin Method” published by Carisch. His Decca album O Solitude has been nominated for the Grammy Awards.