Rising Stars: Meet Stefano Baldasseroni

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stefano Baldasseroni.

Hi Stefano, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Rome, Italy and I have been a musician since I was 4. I have been touring the world as a drummer for 20+ years until, in 2010, I decided to move to New York City to pursue my dream of becoming a successful drummer in the US which, of course, didn’t happen.

During my first year in NYC, I was teaching Italian at a private school while doing recording sessions and live shows as a drummer. In the meantime, I was contacted by the Manhattan School of Music to oversee the Italian language for one of their opera productions, Verdi’s Falstaff. I have always been interested in languages and, of course, I accepted, even though I was terrified to work with “classical music people”, which at first I thought would be too big of a deal for me.

I really enjoyed that first experience and, presumably, it went well, because I have been called for more productions in the next few months. I had become very passionate about that line of work and a few years later I was called to join the faculty of the Juilliard School in NYC and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. My association with two of the most important conservatories in the world made my name spread around, which lead me to work as a guest artist at Yale University, Bard College, Rice University, Houston Grand Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. In 2019 I was contacted by the head of the music staff at the Metropolitan Opera, Thomas Laussmann, who offered me a position as a Diction Coach. I have also joined a few Young Artist Programs around the world, such as the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices in Reno, NV, the Solti Academy, which has programs in Italy and China, and the Mascarade Program, in Florence, Italy.

After a few years of working as a coach, I was able to integrate my two passions, rhythm, and language, into my teaching, which has become very much effective in making non-Italian singers sound idiomatic and natural while singing Italian.

My new life challenge is the Nashville Bel Canto Foundation, a young Artist Program I am creating for freshly graduated opera singers. The program is designed to help young, inexperienced singers understand what it takes to belong to an opera production, to understand the unwritten rules of the stage, and to become a respectful and respected artist without crushing under the pressure of constant criticism, competition and fears that haunt artists all the time.

Anytime I talk about my foundation I keep hearing two questions: Why are you doing it and why in Nashville?

Why? – My path as an artist has been marked by the people who taught me and mentored me. I have matured and become more confident because of that guidance, without which, I would have never trusted myself to set foot on a stage and perform in front of a paying audience. I am building this because I want to become one of those people who can help build trust in a young artist. What I have experienced during my career as a teacher is that the focus of many institutions is the development of the voice, which is, of course, a very important factor in becoming a singer, but it doesn’t cover the practical aspect of being a professional singer, the live performance. How can they be hired by an opera company if they have never set foot on a stage? The mission of my foundation is “to help young singers develop and refine their skills in Italian opera”. I want to fill the gap between school and professional life by having them experience the preparation and performance of a fully staged opera with an orchestra.

Why in Nashville? – The very first time I came to the United States was in August 2000, I was touring with the ex-Mothers of Invention and we had a 75-show tour through 47 states in the US. We flew to Nashville, rehearsed for a week, and played the first and last show of the tour at the EXIT/IN. Nashville represents my first taste of America, it fulfilled the dream of this young kid from Italy who wanted to be a professional drummer in the land where most of the great music comes from.

Also, a few years ago I met my life partner, who lives here. I have been commuting between the east coast and Nashville for two years now, flying to Music City every Friday and back to NYC on Sunday nights and I have fallen in love with this vibrant city, I love everything about it, so much that every time I fly back to the Big Apple it feels like leaving home. I am slowly making this my residence and I will be very happy when this new dream will come true.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have been my biggest enemy all my life. I let my fears lead my decisions too many times, which always ended up with disappointments. The only times I have succeeded have been when I followed my heart. The biggest challenge for an immigrant is mastering the language. I was so afraid of making mistakes that I second-guessed any sentence I was trying to utter with catastrophic results. When I surrendered to the fact that diving into a new language will always be a learning path I relaxed and finally enjoy the nuances of English, mistakes and all, making me more confident while approaching new people.

Another head vs heart experience has been the transition from my identity as a drummer to my new identity as an Italian diction coach and president of a foundation. I have always believed that to be successful I could only persevere with my career as a drummer, anything else would represent a failure. I didn’t see the little cage I crammed myself into until I finally broke free and let myself be whatever the universe wanted me to be. It was really liberating. The heart always wins!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
After 20+ years of a career as a touring drummer, I now work as an Italian diction coach and teacher. My job consists in teaching young opera singers to speak and sing Italian like a native speaker. What I teach is not only how to sound correct, but how to be expressive by using the tools provided by the language itself, which is one of the most important things in the theatrical art form of opera.

What makes me proud is to see ex-students or singers I have coached being praised for their diction and expression and having successful careers. What sets me apart from other coaches is the ability to merge my two passions, rhythm, and language, into my teaching. The rhythm of the language is as important as its sound.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nashvillebelcanto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nashvillebelcanto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nashvillebelcantofoundation
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/85597379
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nashvillebelcantofoundation