Meet Marco Dal Carobbo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marco Dal Carobbo.

Hi Marco, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began playing the piano at the age of ten, when my grandmother and my mother took me to my first piano lesson. That first step marked the beginning of a journey that would eventually lead me to work as a pianist, opera coach, and conductor. I went on to study in Vicenza and later at the Conservatory of Padua, where I completed degrees in piano performance and opera coaching. The piano became the foundation for everything that followed, including my work with singers, choirs, and orchestras.
Working as an opera coach and répétiteur brought me closer to the world of theatre. Preparing singers, accompanying rehearsals, and following a production from its first musical rehearsals to the stage helped me understand how many different people and skills come together in an opera performance. Alongside this work, I studied choral and orchestral conducting, which gradually became a central part of my professional life.
My experience has grown through projects in Italian theatres and festivals, including the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza and the Festival Pucciniano, where I worked as an assistant to conductor Michele Gamba on Madama Butterfly and Turandot. These experiences gave me opportunities to learn through rehearsals, collaboration, and the practical demands of professional productions.
More recently, my work has taken me beyond Italy. In 2026, I served as Associate Music Director and Conductor at the Vienna Opera Festival and Academy, with additional responsibilities as Chorus Master and Orchestra Manager. Working with an international group of musicians broadened my perspective on both musical leadership and the organization behind a performance.
Another significant step was co-founding Málaga Opera Academy, where I serve as Music Director. In September 2026, I conducted Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro for the academy’s first edition. Helping build the project meant taking responsibility for much more than the score: it involved bringing people together and creating the conditions in which they could rehearse, learn, and perform.
Today, I combine conducting with work as a pianist, opera coach, and teacher. Each part of my work informs the others. I am continuing to develop my career on the podium while helping Málaga Opera Academy grow, with the same curiosity and willingness to learn that have guided my journey so far.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road. One of the main challenges has been developing my career as a conductor while continuing to work as a pianist, opera coach, and teacher. Each role requires time and preparation, and finding the balance between professional commitments and my own studies is an ongoing task.
Building experience on the podium has also required patience. You need opportunities to put your preparation into practice, work with different ensembles, and earn people’s trust. I have had to keep studying and seeking those opportunities while accepting that progress does not always happen as quickly as I would like.
Co-founding Málaga Opera Academy brought another set of challenges. Alongside the musical preparation, we had to coordinate people, rehearsal schedules, and the practical needs of an entire production. Unexpected changes in the cast close to the performances meant adapting quickly and helping everyone stay focused.
These experiences have taught me how important clear communication and careful preparation are. As a conductor, I am learning to respond to what the musicians in front of me need, especially when time is limited or circumstances change.
I am still building my career, so these challenges are part of my present as well as my past. What keeps me moving forward is the opportunity to make music with others and to see a project we have worked on together finally reach the stage.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an Italian conductor and pianist, working in opera, orchestral music, and music education. My professional experience also includes work as an opera coach, répétiteur, and chorus master. Opera is a central part of my work because it brings together music, language, theatre, and the collaboration of many different artists.
My background at the piano and my experience preparing singers influence the way I conduct. In rehearsals, I pay close attention to breathing, phrasing, the meaning of the text, and the relationship between the stage and the orchestra. I enjoy the detailed work that allows a performance to take shape, from finding the character of a phrase to understanding how it contributes to the larger dramatic structure.
A defining aspect of my approach is having worked in several different musical roles. I know the preparation involved in accompanying a rehearsal, coaching a singer, or rehearsing a chorus, and I bring that experience with me to the podium. It helps me consider what each musician needs in order to contribute to the performance.
One of the projects I am most proud of is Málaga Opera Academy, which I co-founded and where I serve as Music Director. Conducting Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro for our first edition was particularly meaningful because I had also helped build the project. Seeing the work of singers, instrumentalists, faculty, and the production team come together on stage was a significant moment for me.
Teaching is another important part of my professional life. Working with students keeps me attentive to how people learn and how to explain musical ideas clearly. Whether I am teaching or conducting, I aim to combine careful preparation with an environment where people can listen, ask questions, and work productively together.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I consider myself fortunate to have had people who helped me take important steps in music, beginning with my mother and grandmother, who took me to my first piano lesson when I was ten. Looking back, having that support was an important starting point.
Later, studying with different teachers and working alongside experienced musicians gave me opportunities to learn and develop. In this profession, timing and encounters can matter a great deal: you cannot always predict when an invitation or a collaboration will come your way. What I can do is prepare carefully and take the responsibility seriously when someone places their trust in me.
There have also been disappointments and opportunities that did not develop as I had hoped. Those moments can be difficult, especially when you have invested time and energy, but they have encouraged me to keep looking for other ways forward.
Co-founding Málaga Opera Academy has been one way of taking an active role in creating opportunities, both for myself and for other musicians. For me, luck, preparation, and initiative all play a part, alongside the people with whom you share the work.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcodalcarobbo_musician/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carobbo
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-dal-carobbo