After studying composition and piano playing, Paolo Gatto held the position of “Maestro sostituto” in leading Italian operas. His professional career as a conductor began shortly he perfected his craft at the Vienna Music Academy under Karel Österreicher. He has worked with orchestras both in Italy as well as in numerous cities throughout Europe (St. Petersburg, Vienna, Verona, Milan and, of course, Prague and Ostrava among others). Lately he has divided his opera activities between the Carlo Coccia Theatre in Novara, where he is the head conductor of the symphony orchestra of the same name and Ostrava. Paolo Gatto recently achieved great success with both the public and critics on tour with his orchestra in Milan in the historical “Sala Verdi” with the programme Messa da requiem of G. Verdi. He has made several CDs in Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic, and has also worked with French, Italian and Czech radio.