Stefan Lano
Encyclopedia
Born in Worcester, Massachusetts
in 1952, Stefan Lano began conducting through his work as composer and after an extensive tenure on the Music Staff of the Vienna State Opera
. (i) The 1976 premier of his Sinfonie N° 1 afforded him his initial experience in the symphonic genre, both as composer and conductor at the Newport Music Festival
. (ii) He studied Biology and Composition concurrently at Oberlin College
and Oberlin Conservatory of Music
before attending Harvard University
on a full fellowship. He holds a PhD in Composition from Harvard. (iii) Among his awards as a composer are a BMI Award, First Prize in the National Society of Arts and Letters Composition Competition, an American Music Center
Grant and a Fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service
(DAAD) for further study of composition with Isang Yun
in Berlin in 1977. (iv) During his time in Berlin, he continued piano studies as well as conducting under Professor Hans Martin Rabenstein. It was during this period that he composed his Sinfonie N° 2 (Grodek) before assuming a position as pianist at the opera house in Graz, Austria
. (iv) In 1982, he was engaged by Lorin Maazel
as Repetiteur at the Vienna State Opera, a position which he held until his appointment by Maazel as Associate Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony from 1988 to 1991. (v) He returned to Europe as I. Kapellmeister at the Aachen Opera where he subsequently also served as Music Director
and Studienleiter. (vi) His international engagements began during these years with concert and opera performance at major musical centers in Europe, South America
and Japan.
For the first South American performances of the three-act version of Alban Berg's Lulu, he was engaged to inaugurate the 1993 season at the Teatro Colón
in Buenos Aires, Argentina
. Since that time, he has been a regular guest at the Teatro Colón and served as its Music Director from 2005 to 2008. (vi) He made his conducting debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1997 conducting Igor Stravinsky's The Rakes Progress. (vii) This led to engagements at the San Francisco Opera
, again for Lulu in 1998 and Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe in 2000. In 2002, he conducted a concert-performance with the Montréal Symphony of Alban Berg's Wozzeck which was cited as Best Concert of the Season by the Conseil Québécoise de la Musique. In 2003, he and the orchestra again received this award for their performance of Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle. (viii) In recent years, his career has been centered primarily in Europe and South America with regular engagements at the Semper Oper
Dresden (ix), Hamburg State Opera
(x), Lithuanian National Philharmonic, where he conducted the first performance of his Sinfonie N° 3 in 2004, and the National Opera of Slovakia in Bratislava (xi) and Teatro Colón.
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
in 1952, Stefan Lano began conducting through his work as composer and after an extensive tenure on the Music Staff of the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
. (i) The 1976 premier of his Sinfonie N° 1 afforded him his initial experience in the symphonic genre, both as composer and conductor at the Newport Music Festival
Newport Music Festival
Newport Music Festival is a classical music festival that takes place in Newport, Rhode Island.It was founded in 1969 as a summer season of the Metropolitan Opera. The outdoor venue was not conducive to classical music performance, and instead the grand rooms of the stately Newport mansions were...
. (ii) He studied Biology and Composition concurrently at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
and Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, located on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, was founded in 1865 and is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. Students of Oberlin Conservatory enter a very broad network within the music world, as the school's alumni...
before attending Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
on a full fellowship. He holds a PhD in Composition from Harvard. (iii) Among his awards as a composer are a BMI Award, First Prize in the National Society of Arts and Letters Composition Competition, an American Music Center
American Music Center
The American Music Center is a non-profit organization which aims to promote the creating, performing, and enjoying new American music. The organization was founded in 1939 by composers Marion Bauer, Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, Harrison Kerr, Otto Luening, and Quincy Porter.The organization has a...
Grant and a Fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
(DAAD) for further study of composition with Isang Yun
Isang Yun
Isang Yun was a Korean-German composer originally from Korea. According to his official publisher's Boosey & Hawkes biography of him, he was granted political asylum by West Germany, eventually becoming a naturalised German citizen, following his abduction and torture in 1967 by the South Korean...
in Berlin in 1977. (iv) During his time in Berlin, he continued piano studies as well as conducting under Professor Hans Martin Rabenstein. It was during this period that he composed his Sinfonie N° 2 (Grodek) before assuming a position as pianist at the opera house in Graz, Austria
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
. (iv) In 1982, he was engaged by Lorin Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
as Repetiteur at the Vienna State Opera, a position which he held until his appointment by Maazel as Associate Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony from 1988 to 1991. (v) He returned to Europe as I. Kapellmeister at the Aachen Opera where he subsequently also served as Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
and Studienleiter. (vi) His international engagements began during these years with concert and opera performance at major musical centers in Europe, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Japan.
For the first South American performances of the three-act version of Alban Berg's Lulu, he was engaged to inaugurate the 1993 season at the Teatro Colón
Colón Theater
To Redirect to homonymous theatre in Bogotá see Teatro de Cristobal ColónThe Teatro Colón is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, acoustically considered to be amongst the five best concert venues in the world.The present Colón replaced an original theatre which opened in 1857...
in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. Since that time, he has been a regular guest at the Teatro Colón and served as its Music Director from 2005 to 2008. (vi) He made his conducting debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1997 conducting Igor Stravinsky's The Rakes Progress. (vii) This led to engagements at the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
, again for Lulu in 1998 and Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe in 2000. In 2002, he conducted a concert-performance with the Montréal Symphony of Alban Berg's Wozzeck which was cited as Best Concert of the Season by the Conseil Québécoise de la Musique. In 2003, he and the orchestra again received this award for their performance of Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle. (viii) In recent years, his career has been centered primarily in Europe and South America with regular engagements at the Semper Oper
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden . It is located near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841...
Dresden (ix), Hamburg State Opera
Hamburg State Opera
The Hamburg State Opera is one of the leading opera companies in Germany.Opera in Hamburg dates back to 2 January 1678 when the "Opern-Theatrum" was inaugurated with a performance of a biblical Singspiel by Johann Theile...
(x), Lithuanian National Philharmonic, where he conducted the first performance of his Sinfonie N° 3 in 2004, and the National Opera of Slovakia in Bratislava (xi) and Teatro Colón.