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In this week’s edition of Music Matters Tom Service interviews Sir Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Born in Essex to Italian parents, Antonio Pappano moved as a teenager with his family to Connecticut. Music was a central part of his life from an early age – his father was a singing teacher – but it was in the US that as a young pianist he started his professional career, as a repetiteur at New York City Opera whilst also working as a cocktail bar and recital pianist on the side. He built a reputation through assistant conductor roles, learning his craft in New York, Bayreuth, Barcelona and Frankfurt which led to his first major opera production in 1987 at Norwegian Opera in Oslo followed by spells as Music Director both there and at La Monnaie in Brussels.

Pappano began his current role at the Royal Opera House in 2002, took on his Santa Cecilia position in 2005 and now combines his work in London and Rome with other conducting engagements and occasional appearances as a recital pianist. In 2012 Antonio Pappano received a Knighthood for his services to music.

Tony, as he’s known, talks to Tom about the huge changes he’s seen in the opera world during his 12 years at Covent Garden, from the dramatically increased role of sponsorship to the revolution of opera in cinemas. He explains the passion he has for developing the talents of young singers, describes the pride he has for his orchestra at the Royal Opera House and how his second job in Rome provides a crucial outlet for conducting symphonic repertoire. He also tells Tom what drives him as a musician, from the stimulation he gets from working with colleagues on an opera production, to the moments he spends alone at the grand piano in his office overlooking the Covent Garden piazza and talks about his plans for the future.

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