Born in Naples, Clelia discovered her passion for music at an early age. From piano to conducting, she now combines the two naturally and evidently.
Pianist
She studied at the conservatories of Naples and Milan and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. When she won the “Assami, women in music for life” prize (young section), her career as a soloist and chamber musician led her to perform in the world’s greatest halls such as the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Philharmonie in Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Auditorium in Madrid, Lake Lugano, as well as tours in Japan, China and Canada.
From 2013 to 2019 she was pianist at the Philharmonic and Opera Orchestra of the Teatro della Scala.
At the same time, she obtained a master’s degree in Philosophy at the University Federico II of Naples.
Conductor
Following her Carmen in Marseille in February, Clelia will conduct the same opera at the Chorégies d’Orange in summer 2023. She has also been made Principal Guest Conductor at the Opéra de Tours, where she will open the season conducting The Barber of Seville in October. In 2024 she will conduct La Traviata, Tosca and in other surprises in France. She has also been noticed by D. Barenboim and has collaborated with great artists: Pinchas Zukerman, Asmik Grigorian, Ermonela Jaho, Patrizia Ciofi, Jonathan Fournel.
In 2022 Clelia Cafiero conducts the Gulbenkian Orchestra (Portugal), at the Tours Opera, the Orchestre National de Lorraine and at the Nantes-Angers Opera. In 2023 she has performed in Madama Butterfly at the Quebec Opera and in Carmen at the Marseille Opera.
In 2021-22 she is guest conductor and soloist of the NOSPR Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, she is also engaged for the Musiques Interdites festival (France), the Lutoslawski contemporary music festival and the 26th Beethoven Festival in Warsaw. From 2019 to 2021, she is appointed associate conductor at the Opéra de Marseille (France), discovered by L. Foster. She then leaves her position as pianist, which she has held at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan (Italy) since 2013.
Previously, she conducted in Prague (Czech Republic) and the orchestra of the “Cameristi della Scala” in Italy as well as on tour in China.
In parallel, she was assistant to A. Pappano at the Royal Opera House (UK) for the production of Manon Lescaut and for several recordings for the San Francisco recording.
