About Me
Daniel Biaggi is an award-winning and internationally connected opera executive. A believer in the transformational power of live opera performances, Daniel works closely with Boards and staffs to bring communities together through stimulating productions as well as inspiring education and engagement programs. He has a proven track record of impactful artistic planning and casting, successful fundraising, Board development, and community engagement initiatives. He is an accomplished public speaker and loves leading audiences as an event emcee.
In October 2019, Daniel joined Portland Opera as Interim Artistic Director following a strategic planning process by the Portland Opera Board of Directors. In this role, Daniel is focused on artistic planning & leadership for the next two seasons while collaborating with the company to plan and execute a search for a permanent artistic director. Concurrent with his responsibilities at Portland Opera, Daniel serves as Artistic Advisor to the Atkins Young Artists Program at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. He is also a Creative Consultant for Drax Productions, which invests in commercial films and theatrical productions. Drax Productions was represented most recently on Broadway with a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Prior to beginning his position at Portland Opera, Daniel led the Palm Beach Opera for 10 years as General Director. From 2009 to 2019, he orchestrated a financial and organizational turnaround for the company despite the economic crisis in his initial years. At the end of his tenure, he moved into the role of Strategic & Artistic Advisor to facilitate the transition into new leadership for the now financially sustainable and artistically thriving organization. For his work with PBO, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership and Artistic Excellence of the National Society of Arts and Letters.
In addition to his artistic leadership, Daniel previously co-managed the careers of over 40 singers worldwide as Associate Director at Guy Barzilay International Artist Management in New York. He has served on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and Sarah Lawrence College in New York; taught at the Juilliard School of Music, the Chautauqua Voice Institute, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild; and adjudicated for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Competition, and the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Daniel served on the Board of OPERA America from 2012 to 2018 and was Chair of the Cultural Executive Committee of the Cultural Council of the Palm Beaches from 2011 to 2013. Daniel is a classically trained singer and has performed operatic roles and recitals in the US as well as Europe. He holds a Post-Graduate and Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, a Bachelor of Music Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a Certificate of Musicology from the University of Berne, Switzerland. Most recently, he received certification as Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy from The American College of Financial Services, and concluded the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program “Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management” on full scholarship.
In his free time, Daniel Biaggi enjoys sports – especially tennis and snowboarding – loves to fly and occasionally jump out of planes, and appreciates cooking and fine wine.