CCM welcomes opera director and alumnus Jose Maria Condemi to faculty
Condemi begins his new appointment as Associate Professor of Opera on Aug. 15
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of Jose Maria Condemi, MFA, as CCM's new Associate Professor of Opera. His faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15, 2025.
New CCM faculty member Jose Maria Condemi. Photo/provided
Condemi has been a director and producer of opera and theater of exceptional artistic quality for over two decades, both in the United States and internationally. His work encompasses a wide range of styles and periods, consistently lauded for its theatrical sophistication, distinct visual sensibility and innovative approach.
Condemi’s long-standing relationship with San Francisco Opera has included directing several mainstage productions, including Carmen, Un Ballo in Maschera, Madama Butterfly, Faust, Tosca and Così fan tutte. He also directed the world premieres of The Secret Garden and Earthrise, and recently helmed an innovative outreach touring event called Bohème Out of the Box. His extensive portfolio also includes significant directing engagements with major opera houses, such as Ernani and Tristan und Isolde with Lyric Opera of Chicago; Aida at Houston Grand Opera; Luisa Miller for Canadian Opera Company; Orphée et Eurydice, La Bohème, Tosca and Il Trovatore at Seattle Opera; Madama Butterfly and Salome at San Diego Opera; Ainadamar, Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Tosca and Lucia di Lammermoor for Cincinnati Opera; and Frida for Detroit Opera, Atlanta Opera and Florida Grand Opera. Additional notable engagements include productions for L'Opéra de Montréal, the Dallas Opera, Portland Opera, New Orleans Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Utah Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Austin Lyric Opera, Kentucky Opera and many others.
As a sought-after mentor for young artists, Condemi has served as guest director for leading programs such as the Academy of Vocal Arts (Così fan tutte), Merola Opera Program (La Cenerentola, La Bohème, Hin und Zurück, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi), Wolf Trap Opera (La Traviata), Indiana University (Eugene Onegin, Dead Man Walking and Lucia di Lammermoor) and Seattle Opera Young Artists Program (Così fan tutte). He has also been a guest lecturer and master teacher for the Houston Grand Opera Studio, University of Houston Moores School of Music, Opera, San Diego State University, Opera Theater of Lucca (Italy), and the Young Artists Programme at the New National Theatre Tokyo. His training philosophy combines solid craft training with a real-world understanding of the profession’s demands, creating a learning environment that is both supportive and rigorous. He encourages young artists to take ownership of their artistic journey and approach their craft with both confidence and curiosity.
From 2010 to 2015, Condemi served as Artistic Director of Opera Santa Barbara, where he oversaw repertoire selection, budgeting, casting and overall artistic vision. From 2015 to 2022, he held the Carol Franc Buck Distinguished Chair at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he led a comprehensive academic and artistic overhaul of the Opera and Musical Theater program and successfully managed its re-accreditation process.
Originally from Argentina, Condemi holds an undergraduate degree in Opera Stage Direction from Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from CCM. A two-time participant in the prestigious Merola Opera Program and an inaugural Adler Fellow in Stage Direction at San Francisco Opera, he is also a Fulbright Fellow. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Business Administration through the Global Leaders Institute.
Upcoming directing engagements include Rigoletto for San Francisco Opera, Tosca for Cincinnati Opera and Alcina for the Trentino Music Festival.
"Jose Maria Condemi brings inspiring creative vision to CCM, along with a long and distinguished record of directing at the worlds’ major opera houses. He is no stranger to Cincinnati, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the CCM Opera Department," said Jutras. "I am grateful to our search committee chair Amy Johnson and committee members Thomas Hase, Kirill Kuzmin and Kenneth Shaw for their efforts with this successful search."
Next Lives Here
At the University of Cincinnati, we realize the impact our teaching, research, artistry and service can have on our community and the world. So, we don’t wait for change to happen. We break boundaries, boldly imagine and create what’s Next. To us, today’s possibilities spark tomorrow’s reality. That’s why we are leading urban public universities into a new era of innovation and impact, and that's how we are defining Next for the performing and media arts.
We're about engaging people and ideas - and transforming the world.
We are UC. Welcome to what's Next.
Featured image at top: Jose Maria Condemi (center) directs a rehearsal of 'Salome' at San Diego Opera in March 2025. Pictured to the left of Condemi is the conductor of that production, Maestro Yves Abel. Photo/Karli Cadel
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Rebecca Butts | Assistant Public Information Officer
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