Meet our 2024 Finals Judges
UPDATED May 7, 2024 — The 2024 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition Finals will be judged by this slate of opera professionals. Our Finals Judges have graciously agreed to offer feedback to all finalists who wish to stay after the competition on Saturday, May 25, 2024. We are grateful to Maestro Capocaccia, Ms. Gandhi, and Ms. Lippiello for the expertise and encouragement they offer our 2024 singers.
Christian Capocaccia is Artistic and Music Director of both Syracuse Opera and Tri-Cities Opera. As a guest conductor he has appeared in the United States and in Europe leading the Orchestra di Roma e del Lazio, Moscow Ballet Orchestra, and Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto, among others. He has held positions as Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Opera, Resident Conductor of the Fischer Center at Bard College, Assistant Conductor of the Indiana University Opera and IU New Music Ensemble. He is a former Aspen Music Festival Conducting Fellow, where he studied with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin. Born in Rome, he attended the Santa Cecilia Music Conservatory and is a graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington where he studied under David Effron. Visit Maestro Capocaccia’s website to learn more.
Priti Gandhi is a leader in opera administration, innovative casting, and a passionate artist advocate in the field. She recently joined the artistic department of the Metropolitan Opera as Associate Director of the Laffont. After a long international opera career that included performances with companies like Seattle Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, UNAM in Mexico City, the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, she transitioned into artistic administration with San Diego Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Portland Opera. She is a sought-after audition master class instructor and guest lecturer with schools like the New England Conservatory, Mannes School of Music, and the University of California at San Diego. Learn more about the Laffont Competition.
Cory Lippiello, CSA is the Director of Artistic Programs at Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she prepares principal artist casting for Lyric's mainstage operas, musicals, and outreach programming. In addition, she produces Lyric's filmed projects for digital streaming, most notably the film of Pagliacci (2021), for which she received an Emmy Award. Ms. Lippiello has held significant positions with New York City Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, The Atlanta Opera, the New York Philharmonic, IMG Artists, OPERA America, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. She is a highly sought-after speaker on the topics of artistic planning and casting, and she has been honored to serve multiple times as an adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition and as a grant review panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. Ms. Lippiello is a graduate of Vassar College and recently became the first casting director from the opera world to become a member of the Casting Society of America. Learn more about Lyric Opera of Chicago.
