
MICHELLE ROFRANO
CONDUCTOR
BIOGRAPHY
Michelle Rofrano is an Italian American conductor with a keen interest in the intersection of art, storytelling, and social activism. An avid opera conductor, upcoming engagements include guest conducting La Cenerentola with Toledo Opera, L’amant anonyme (Bologne) with Madison Opera, Turandot with Fargo Moorhead Opera, and a double bill of Les mamelles de Tirésias (Poulenc) and The Seven Deadly Sins (Weill) with the Curtis Institute of Music.
The past several seasons have seen Rofrano lead productions of La Traviata and Cendrillon(Viardot) with City Lyric Opera; Amelia al ballo with The Juilliard School, The Turn of the Screw with the Curtis Institute, The Fall of the House of Usher with Orpheus PDX, Don Quichotte at Camacho's Wedding (Telemann) with Opera Saratoga, Trouble in Tahiti with The Glimmerglass Festival and Westminster Choir College, and a new production of Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades created by Francesca Zambello.
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CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"... She captured the ambiguity and sinister mystery of the story..." – Oregon ArtsWatch
The Fall of the House of Usher – "Conductor Rofrano, with a 12-person orchestra (including synthesizer), never overplayed the score. She captured the ambiguity and sinister mystery of the story with the quiet pulsing staccato of the music and moments of pause. Poe writes about a crack in “the house,” but in this production, the crack is Roderick’s split life, and the music makes it all the more haunting."
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"... Rofrano on the podium leading an energetic and light-hearted reading..." – Voce di Meche
Cendrillon – “Career advancement is not easy for female conductors and we were thrilled to see the young rapidly rising Maestro Michelle Rofrano on the podium leading an energetic and light-hearted reading of Pauline Viardot's telling of the Cinderella tale. The chamber orchestra was with her every step of the way. There were the requisite strings augmented by one each of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. The plangent sound of the harp wove it all together. The melodic score has the flavor of French music hall, which we see as a good thing. Mo. Rofrano played the score as a light-hearted and enchanting bauble.”
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"... she's a meticulous musician..." – Oberon’s Grove
Cendrillon – “the beauteous Maestro Rofrano. . . she's a meticulous musician who knows the score inside out.”
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"... Rofrano elicited thrilling, evocative results..." – Opera Today
The Queen of Spades – “Maestra Rofrano elicited thrilling, evocative results from her exquisite chamber players and she ably supported her singers in relating the drama.”
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"... expertly conducted..." –ArezzoOra.it
Così fan tutte – “Great success for Oberlin's Cosi fan tutte in Piazza Grande ... expertly conducted by Michelle Rofrano"
REPRESENTATIVES
Agent | Classical & Concert
Vice President | Classical & Creatives
Operations & Finance Manager