Federica di Vaio

Born in Naples in 1998, Federica Di Vaio is a versatile conductor, pianist, and violist. She completed her master’s degree in piano and conducting in 2025 at the “Giuseppe Verdi” Conservatory in Milan, after earning her bachelor’s degree in piano in 2020 at the “San Pietro a Majella” Conservatory in Naples. Since 2025, she has served as assistant to the music director at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein and has been involved in numerous opera productions.
Federica Di Vaio is the founder and artistic director of the Orchestra Athena, an all-female ensemble dedicated to symphonic and contemporary repertoire. Since 2023, she has also held the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra “Il Cimento Armonico” in Padua. Among her most recent highlights is her debut with Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Teatro Carcano in Milan. She has a strong interest in contemporary music, reflected in her collaboration with the ensemble of the Milan Conservatory and her appearances at festivals such as Milano Musica.
During the 2025/26 season at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, she will take on the musical direction of the world premiere of Samuel Penderbayne’s “Alles, was wir sein könnten” as part of the UFO – Junge Oper Urban program.