Nicola Luisotti - Courtesy of Terrance McCarthy/San Francisco Opera

Moments after his mid-August arrival in San Francisco, we posed a few questions to Nicola Luisotti, the dashing new conductor of the San Francisco Opera. At age forty-six Luisotti has the youthful air of a boy wonder, but the résumé of an accomplished musician twice his age.

Luisotti was born in Viareggio, Lucca and raised nearby. He studied music as a child with lessons on the church organ; by age eleven, he was directing the church choir. His academic training included study of piano, trumpet, composition, and voice. Initially dividing his time between La Scala in Milan, as a rehearsal pianist, and Florence, as a member of the Maggio Musicale festival, Luisotti’s abundant talents were immediately recognized. In short order he became chorus master for La Fenice in Venice.

Since then, he has appeared on the podium conducting some of the world’s finest orchestras and operas in Stuttgart, Vienna, Paris, London, Madrid, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tokyo, and San Francisco, where he conducted last season’s critically acclaimed production of La Boheme.

In addition to serving as principal conductor of the SF Opera, Luisotti will traverse the Pacific as the principal guest conductor of the Tokyo Symphony. In his charmingly accented English, Luisotti answered our queries about his life, loves, and enthusiastic hopes for his newest engagement in San Francisco. 

Jennifer Raiser: You began to express your musical talent early, becoming director of your church choir at age eleven. Please tell us how you became so interested in music as a child. When did you begin to sing? To play the organ? Do you still sing and play?  

Nicola Luisotti: I think that I didn’t discover the music, but rather the music discovered me. When I was very young, my mother would sing popular songs for me and in response, I would cry. My mother was completely surprised with my reaction, and so was I. After some years, I discovered why I was so moved by her, by the music, by the most incredible language of the universe. That was when I started to play the organ and of course, to sing, and I’ve never stopped since then.

You are Tuscan by birth and have traveled all over the world. Where have you lived? Do you have a favorite city? Do you maintain a residence anywhere?     

I have lived everywhere and for this reason I do not have a strong feeling about one particular place. Of course, San Francisco is one of the best cities in the world and a wonderful venue to spend part of my life. I am so happy and grateful to be joining of this community. My permanent home remains in Tuscany, Italy, where my family has lived for many generations.

If you were not a conductor, what would you do as a profession?    

If I had the opportunity be reborn, I would like to be a painter, but a good one!

Please tell us about your family. Are they planning to join you in San Francisco?     

My family is my wife, Rita. She represents everything I have, and she is sharing this incredible trip around the world inside the music. I still have my parents, and I would like to bring them here to San Francisco, but they are elderly and that would be a difficult journey for them. I have three brothers and a sister and hope they will come to visit me here in San Francisco. 

Kindly tell us what you enjoy doing when you are not working.

I have many passions. I like to play billiards, I like to fish, I like cars, food, wines, boats. More importantly, in a few words, “I love life.” It is so extraordinary and so special.

You will be working closely with David Gockley. How have you worked together in the past?

There is this quote from Montaigne’s “Essay” about friends: “Why Him? Because it is Him.” I don’t think this could happen with so many people. David Gockley and I have a strong bond of friendship and mutual love for the world of music, and in particular, opera.

You have been a guest conducting the SF Symphony as well as the SF Opera. Do those experiences reveal anything special about San Francisco musicians, or audiences?    

San Francisco has a special way of watching art and hearing music. This combination creates wonderful musicians, and to share this musical material is an honor. Perhaps it is something in the air?

Please tell us how you think about conducting symphony and opera orchestras. Do you prepare differently for each genre?   

Symphony repertory needs a lot of preparation at home before you begin the rehearsal process. With opera, you have two or three days to realize the project with the orchestra, and then you have to perform the concert live before the public. The world of opera needs a lot of time in the theatre. Many people are involved and you need many rehearsals before the premiere. But, the music is at the end of both processes, and it is the music that is most important to me.

If you could only pack one suitcase for your move to San Francisco, what would it contain?         

My wife!

You also serve as principal guest conductor of the Tokyo Symphony, an interesting juxtaposition. What challenges do you anticipate from carrying two batons?

My position as principal guest conductor with the Tokyo Symphony arrived after many years of music-making with them. They know that I am very busy, but they wished to show me their love and asked me to become a more integral part of their organization. I happily accepted. You see for me, “love” and “music” is the same word. The Japanese audience is very educated and very much aware of what is going on musically. I am very happy to go there and conduct.

You have had some wonderful mentors. Please tell us about them.    

I have had some wonderful mentors, but I hold their contributions deeply close to my heart. That is all I can say. They know who they are.

Do you have a message for your new city?

Yes, my message for San Francisco is to give you my love. Be proud of your city and of your San Francisco Opera. Come, come to share with us this incredible, wonderful, magical material that is the music!

Jennifer Raiser is thinking inside the Box H.