John Massaro
Encyclopedia
John Massaro is an American conductor, opera director, composer, and pianist. Massaro is the co-founder and current Artistic Director of the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera
.
at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh, the Frankfurt Opera and also at her home in Zurich
.
After moving to New York, he became a coach for several of the members of the Metropolitan Opera
Young Artist Development program. During his time in New York, Massaro had the fortune of working closely with many wonderful singers and conductors including Leonard Bernstein
, assisting him with his last opera A Quiet Place
. During this time, Massaro began to expand his work into the field of conducting. He met Zubin Mehta
for whom he served as a conducting assistant during a production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly
with the Israel Philharmonic.
In 1998, Massaro became the Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor for Arizona Opera
. While there he conducted several highly acclaimed productions. In 2002, while still maintaining his position with Arizona Opera, Massaro became Associate Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony
. He made his debut with the orchestra conducting a 9/11 memorial concert which included his own arrangement of the National Anthem.
In 2005, Massaro made his Carnegie Hall
debut conducting a production of Mozart's Requiem
.
In 2006, Massaro was invited as a guest conductor with the Symphony of the Southwest for their 50th Anniversary Season. That same year, Massaro guest conducted the Arizona Masterworks Chorale and the South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra in Krakow, Prague, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic), and Vienna in celebration of the Year of Mozart.
In 2006, Massaro started his own opera company, the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera
(PMO), with his wife, opera singer Gail Dubinbaum
. Massaro conducted the company's first production, Puccini's La Boheme
, last December and will be conducting performances of Verdi's Aida
and Puccini's Tosca
during the 2008-2009 season.
Mr. Massaro has also been the Musical Director for several regional theaters including Phoenix Theater
and the Black Theatre Troupe (BTT). He has been the recipient of an AriZoni as Music Director for Blues in the Night with BTT.
As a recitalist, Mr. Massaro has accompanied several artists including his wife, Gail Dubinbaum
, throughout the United States and Canada. He is also an award-winning composer and arranger, a producer of choral CDs and a member of the Board for arts organizations across the country including ART and Arizonans for Cultural Development.
Phoenix Metropolitan Opera
The Phoenix Opera is a professional opera company located in Phoenix, Arizona and is an affiliate member of OPERA America. The company was founded under the name the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera in 2006 by Artistic Director John Massaro and Creative Director Gail Dubinbaum...
.
Career
Massaro began his career in California working as an accompanist and coach for the Los Angeles Opera Repertory Theatre. He coached Lieder repertoire with the great soprano Elisabeth SchwarzkopfElisabeth Schwarzkopf
Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, DBE was a German-born Austrian/British soprano opera singer and recitalist. She was among the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century, much admired for her performances of Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, and Wolf.-Early life:Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike...
at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh, the Frankfurt Opera and also at her home in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
After moving to New York, he became a coach for several of the members of the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
Young Artist Development program. During his time in New York, Massaro had the fortune of working closely with many wonderful singers and conductors including Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
, assisting him with his last opera A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place is an American opera in three acts, with music by Leonard Bernstein to a libretto by Stephen Wadsworth. The work is a sequel to Bernstein's 1951 short opera Trouble in Tahiti. In its initial form A Quiet Place was in one act; the premiere, on June 17, 1983, was a double bill: Trouble...
. During this time, Massaro began to expand his work into the field of conducting. He met Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
for whom he served as a conducting assistant during a production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Puccini based his opera in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" by John Luther Long, which was dramatized by David Belasco...
with the Israel Philharmonic.
In 1998, Massaro became the Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor for Arizona Opera
Arizona Opera
Arizona Opera is an opera company which operates in both Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.Arizona Opera was established in 1971 as the Tucson Opera Company, under founding general director James P. Sullivan, and presented its first production, of Rossini's The Barber of Seville, in 1972. By 1976 the...
. While there he conducted several highly acclaimed productions. In 2002, while still maintaining his position with Arizona Opera, Massaro became Associate Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony
Phoenix Symphony
The Phoenix Symphony is a major United States symphony orchestra based in Phoenix, Arizona.Founded in 1947 when Phoenix had a population of less than 100,000, the orchestra began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year...
. He made his debut with the orchestra conducting a 9/11 memorial concert which included his own arrangement of the National Anthem.
In 2005, Massaro made his Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
debut conducting a production of Mozart's Requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
.
In 2006, Massaro was invited as a guest conductor with the Symphony of the Southwest for their 50th Anniversary Season. That same year, Massaro guest conducted the Arizona Masterworks Chorale and the South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra in Krakow, Prague, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic), and Vienna in celebration of the Year of Mozart.
In 2006, Massaro started his own opera company, the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera
Phoenix Metropolitan Opera
The Phoenix Opera is a professional opera company located in Phoenix, Arizona and is an affiliate member of OPERA America. The company was founded under the name the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera in 2006 by Artistic Director John Massaro and Creative Director Gail Dubinbaum...
(PMO), with his wife, opera singer Gail Dubinbaum
Gail Dubinbaum
Gail Dubinbaum is an American operatic coloratura mezzo-soprano and co-founder and Creative Director of the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera.-Career:...
. Massaro conducted the company's first production, Puccini's La Boheme
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
, last December and will be conducting performances of Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
and Puccini's Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
during the 2008-2009 season.
Mr. Massaro has also been the Musical Director for several regional theaters including Phoenix Theater
Phoenix Theater
The Phoenix Theater is an all-ages club located in Petaluma, California which has been in existence since 1905, and has been subject to many changes in both structure and purpose, mostly due to severe damage caused by multiple fires. - History :...
and the Black Theatre Troupe (BTT). He has been the recipient of an AriZoni as Music Director for Blues in the Night with BTT.
As a recitalist, Mr. Massaro has accompanied several artists including his wife, Gail Dubinbaum
Gail Dubinbaum
Gail Dubinbaum is an American operatic coloratura mezzo-soprano and co-founder and Creative Director of the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera.-Career:...
, throughout the United States and Canada. He is also an award-winning composer and arranger, a producer of choral CDs and a member of the Board for arts organizations across the country including ART and Arizonans for Cultural Development.