Director-General of the Royal Opera House Muscat has a long, distinguished career in the performing arts, not only in theatre management, but also as an award-winning concert pianist.

Umberto Fanni graduated with high honours from the Conservatory of Music in Brescia, Italy, and completed his studies at the Conservatory of Music in Geneva. Among his early achievements was founding in 1985 the Young Italian Chamber Orchestra. At the urging of the famous conductor, Maestro Claudio Scimone, Umberto Fanni’s career in performing arts management began with his collaboration as Assistant Artistic Director of Italy’s finest chamber ensemble, I Solisti Veneti.

Umbero Fanni has always valued innovation and advocated a well-calibrated connection between artistic skills and managerial competencies. As a Professor at the Catholic University of Milan, he taught Management of Performing Arts for 15 years. Mr Fanni was first appointed to the Royal Opera House Muscat as Artistic Director in September 2014 and then as Director General in November 2015. The Royal Opera House Muscat is now well on its way to becoming a producing as well as a hosting institution.