Since arriving on the music scene in Chicago Francesco Milioto has been named “one of the best young conductors working in the Chicago area.” He currently holds the position of music director for the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Highland Park Strings. Mr. Milioto is in his eighth year as music director for the Summer Opera at the Chicago Cultural Center. Since 2003 he has been a regular rehearsal pianist and assistant conductor at the Ravinia Festival where he works closely with Maestro James Conlon and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Milioto also has a long history of serving the community by reaching out to thousands of students as a teacher and a performer with companies such as Opera Theater North and Gallery 37. He is particularly proud of his involvement with the young dynamic Group, New Millennium Orchestra, which he co-founded in 2005. Born in Toronto, Canada of Italian parentage, Francesco Milioto began playing the piano at age seven. He entered the Royal Conservatory of Music for studies in history and theory and was accepted into the piano studio of Gordon Hallett. Mr. Milioto earned his Bachelor’s of Music in piano performance (with Honors and Distinction) from the University of Western Ontario. He was awarded the top scholarship by the music faculty to study with Ronald Turini, pupil of the great Vladimir Horowitz. Mr. Milioto was invited by the head of Opera McGill to earn his Masters Degree in opera repetition and orchestral conducting at McGill University in Montreal. He flourished as an accompanist and conductor. As assistant to both the McGill Symphony Orchestra and the Contemporary Ensemble, Mr. Milioto led many concerts and world premieres, including operas Il Barbiere di Seviglia, Rigoletto, Il Matrimonio Segreto, and L’Occassione fa il Ladro. It was his hard work and success with these productions that led to his first invitations as a music director in Chicago. Mr. Milioto worked last season with Opera on the James and we welcome him back as conductor of our fall production, Hansel & Gretel.
