A son of art in every sense of the word, Giancarlo del Monaco‘s personality and charisma make him one of the most brilliant and evocative theatre directors. The longevity of his extraordinary career, centred on the definition of “innovator in the sign of tradition”, as he himself summarises it, is crowned with the most prestigious successes and awards that would make a parent of Mario del Monaco’s stature proud. Despite having experienced great traditions, the Maestro does not disdain the idea of a “refreshed” theatre. As he himself expressed during one of his recent productions: “Theatre should not be violated, it should be cleansed, always renewed through new ideas that must be connected to music, to opera […] The new must be respected because it is part of the renewal of the show. The show must renew itself or it dies. Theatre is not a museum: a museum houses great masterpieces, but they are stationary and of their time, whereas theatre is something that evolves every day, every year, every decade”. The energy he puts into his work, the frankness of his ideas, and his life dedicated to theatre “also in the name of my father and mother”, as he loves to repeat, is the driving force behind the Academy. His exquisite willingness to support its projects offers students great opportunities for growth and success.

A living memory of his brother Mario, Cav. Alberto del Monaco worked in the management of RAI for forty years. This did not prevent him from taking an active part in the extraordinary life of the famous Tenor and personally knowing many glorious Artists of the golden age of Opera. Passionate and eager to make his own contribution by putting his fortunate experience at the service of young people, he immediately did his utmost to make this happen. His meeting with Cristiana De Sidi sealed their common desire to help quality artists emerge in the world of entertainment. Today he passes the baton on to his grandson Giancarlo, while still following the activities of the Academy. A pupil of Carmen Sylvia Neumann, Cristiana De Sidi, after an initial theatrical experience, soon pursued her vocation for teaching, to which she has dedicated herself for almost twenty-five years. Perfecting her repertoire as a dramatic soprano with historical names of Opera, a devotee of the sensorial method -supported by the effective insights of her own personal experience- combined of course with the scientific knowledge that makes her decisive also in dealing with male voices, as well as in shaping Del Monaco’s singing style in its correct explication and implementation, she teaches not only traditional Belcanto, but also romantic singing, dealing particularly with dramatic voices, all with meticulous attention to the details learned from the great Artists of the past. With Alberto del Monaco as a talent scout, united in their common desire to support Opera talents, they have immediately worked in favour of young people, always offering them the opportunity to meet important agents for free, by organizing auditions on several occasions throughout their long friendship.

Despite his young age, Giancarlo Mari soon showed a great aptitude for teaching, which he honed over more than a decade of study and developed through thousands of hours of practice. During and after his time at the Conservatoire, following his debut in the role of Rodolfo (in G. Puccini’s La Bohème) and having been chosen by Cesare Scarton to play the lead in the rediscovered opera I portentosi effetti della Madre Natura by G. Scarlatti, he successfully embarked on a teaching career.
Alongside his artistic career, he furthered his studies in voice, obtaining a specialist Master’s degree and the title of Artistic Vocologist, thereby consolidating a multidisciplinary background that integrates artistic, pedagogical and scientific expertise. He also obtained the prestigious title of Estill Master Trainer (Estill Voice Training), acquiring great expertise in working with both the singing and speaking voice, even from the very basics, and distinguishing himself through his ability to effectively resolve often complex technical issues.
Highly regarded abroad as well, he is regularly invited to lead masterclasses in various countries, including Mexico, Argentina, the United States and Spain, where he is met with great acclaim from students, professionals and teachers alike. He is held in high esteem by leading experts in the field, who follow his research, training and outreach work in the field of artistic vocality with interest and appreciation.

THE SCORE IS THE CODE WITH WHICH THE COMPOSER GRANTS ACCESS TO HIS GENIUS: ONLY THE BEST MASTERS CAN DECIPHER IT. OUR MASTER IS MASSIMILIANO TISANO

Pianist, composer, conductor and teacher professor of conservatory, provided with an extraordinary sensitivity that translates into rare intuition in both piano and orchestral accompaniment, Maestro Massimiliano Tisano began his piano studies with Massimiliano Damerini, composition with Eduardo Ogando and Stefano Bracci, and conducting with Donato Renzetti. He later attended Pierre Boulez’s courses in Lucerne, embarking on an extensive concert career while also taking on many roles as a conductor. As a composer, in 2014 he achieved great satisfaction when his “Tango para mi juventud” for guitar and string quartet was premiered by Adriano Walter Rullo – to whom the piece is dedicated – at the Stockholm Concert Hall, during the inaugural concert of the Italian presidency semester in Europe. The piece, in its version for guitar and string orchestra, was also performed in Düsseldorf and Cologne by Adriano Walter Rullo and the “Solisti Aquilani”. In 2021, he composed the original music for the theatre production ‘Heroides vs Metamorphosys’ by Manuela Kustermann and Cinzia Merlin staged at the Teatro Vascello in Rome. Since 15 January 2024, the short film ‘Salvacuore’ by Daniele Mezzasalma, for which he composed the soundtrack, has been available online on digital platforms. He has performed with prestigious soloists such as Mariolina De Robertis, Luciano Giuliani, GeorgMoench, and Angelo Persichilli. In 2019, he conducted Luciano Berio’s “Folk Songs” at the “Festival Musica sull’Acqua” in Colico (Lecco) performed by Alda Caiello. Famous actors such as Paolo Poli and Mattia Sbragia have collaborated in concerts he has directed. Among the most famous names with whom he collaborates for concerts as pianist are Amarilli Nizza, Fabio Armiliato and Angelo Veccia. He has also participated, as a pianist, in several masterclasses, including those of Rosa Feola, Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz, Anna Vandi, Tito Schipa Jr. and Giancarlo del Monaco. He is the artistic director of the ‘Formello Chigi Festival’ and teaches Piano Accompaniment at the ‘Ottorino Respighi’ Conservatory in Latina. A reference figure as répétiteur of the Academy, he works alongside the Maestros with the accompaniment of the students during in-person lessons, concerts, masterclasses, and performances, perfecting their score reading. He also gives complementary piano lessons for singers, and oversees the specific course for accompanying pianists, which he himself suggested to promote the integration of such professional figures into the world of the performing arts.

You might believe in reincarnation if one day you meet a young man who talks to you about music, composers, and singers as if he were one of those glorious (and feared!) loggionists from the golden age of Opera come back to life. Creator of content for cultural dissemination via social platforms, Francisco Alejandro Uzziel Navarro Alcántara began this activity by making YouTube videos and mini-documentaries about Opera and lyrical singing. He is currently also a promoter of Belcanto on Instagram in collaboration with Maestro Giancarlo Mari, with whom he offers demonstrative content mainly for educational purposes. Having joined the Mario del Monaco Academy team, he contributes by participating in its projects and promoting their dissemination.

Since 1985, the experience gained and enriched by constant updating have made his style simple, functional, yet original, Luca Zangrilli can deservedly boast the title of Graphic and Web Designer. Dealing with multiple issues and types of work, he is absolutely capable of offering a comprehensive image and communication service. Fascinated by his way of building strong and coherent visual identities, by the taste and sensitivity demonstrated in his immediate intuition of our points of view, which he has magnificently translated into high-level work, we could not fail to make him an effective member of the team with great satisfaction.