The Chicago Tribune names Francesco Milioto “one of the best young conductors working in the Chicago area.”  Since his debut in the Chicago area just over a decade ago he now balances a busy career conducting a wide range of orchestral and operatic repertoire while maintaining a full schedule as a pianist and vocal coach.  He currently holds the positions of Co-founder/Conductor of the New Millennium Orchestra, Music Director of the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Chicago Cultural Center Summer Opera, Principal Conductor of the Highland Park Strings and Artistic Director/Conductor of Accessible Contemporary Music.  Mr. Milioto is an assistant conductor and rehearsal pianist for both Chicago Opera Theater and the Ravinia Festival, where he works closely with Maestro James Conlon.  He also makes regular appearances as a guest conductor with Opera Elgin and Opera on the James in Lynchburg, VA.

Mr. Milioto is particularly proud of his work with the New Millennium Orchestra of Chicago, which he helped to co-found in 2005.  The NMO has an incredible range of repertoire, playing everything from classical music and opera to collaborations with jazz and hip-hop artists.  In addition to regular appearances at the Chicago Cultural Center, performing programs of orchestral, opera and chamber music; this young dynamic group has successfully debuted on both the Ravinia Festival Kraft Kid’s Series and the Harris Theater Family Series.  The NMO also maintains a residency at Columbia College where Mr. Milioto leads concerts featuring music composed by students in the Music for the Screen program.

His third season as Music Director of the Skokie Valley Symphony has culminated in performances featuring Brahms Symphony No. 2, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (conducted from harpsichord) and Saint-Säen’s powerful Symphony No. 3.  During his tenure Mr. Milioto has enjoyed an enthusiastic response to his unique musicianship and wide range of repertoire.  In addition to building on the history of high quality performances, the past three seasons have seen a successful return to concert opera and the creation of free concerts for local school children.

His work with the Highland Park Strings ranges from the earliest string music to the romantic and contemporary.  As Principal Conductor, Mr. Milioto has had the pleasure to work with many international soloists including Janos Starker, David Shifrin, Rachel Barton-Pine and Chicago Symphony Orchestra members Mathieu Dufour and Eugene Izotov.  Having just led a highly successful benefit gala at Ravinia’s Bennett-Gordon Hall, he looks forward to finishing this season with the ensemble’s first performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

As an opera conductor Mr. Milioto has led nine productions at the Chicago Cultural Center which include Le Nozze di Figaro, Candide, Dido and Aeneas, The Magic Flute, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges and Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges.  He led the Cultural Center’s most recent production of Acis and Galatea from the harpsichord which had its final performance at the prestigious Pritzker Pavillion in Chicago’s Millennium Park.  Mr. Milioto has conducted five productions in Virginia with Opera on the James, and led several gala concerts and productions with Opera Elgin in collaboration with the New Millennium Orchestra.  As an assistant conductor and rehearsal pianist at the Ravinia Festival he has been involved in six operas and various other orchestral and vocal projects working alongside Daniel Barenboim (2004) and James Conlon (2005-present).  This spring Mr. Milioto returned to Chicago Opera Theater as an assistant conductor/chorus master for Rossini’s Mose in Egitto, and assistant conductor/rehearsal pianist for Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers.

Born in Toronto, Canada Francesco Milioto began playing the piano at age seven.  By age twelve he entered the Royal Conservatory of Music for studies in history and theory, and was later accepted into the piano studio of Gordon Hallett. Mr. Milioto earned his Bachelor’s of Music in Piano Performance with honors and distinction from the University of Western Ontario. He was awarded the top scholarship by the music faculty to study with Ronald Turini, pupil of virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz.  It was here that Mr. Milioto began to conduct, becoming the assistant conductor for the UWO Symphony Orchestra and leading various ensembles in orchestral, operatic and contemporary works.

Mr. Milioto was invited by the head of Opera at McGill University in Montreal to participate in the creation of a double Masters Degree program in opera repetition and orchestral conducting.  There he flourished as assistant conductor to both the McGill Symphony Orchestra and Contemporary Ensemble, where he led many concerts and world premieres. He also acted as accompanist, coach, chorus master and music director for productions by Opera McGill as well as the Early Music Ensemble. 

Since completing his studies Mr. Milioto has performed operas in Germany and taken part in workshops and conducting competitions in both Hungary and Italy.  Having found his niche in Chicago, he continues to make an impact as a conductor, pianist and vocal coach.