Virginia Opera taps guest conductor

Joseph Rescigno, artistic advisor and principal conductor of Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera Company, has been engaged to conduct the Virginia Opera production of "The Valkyrie," a condensed version of Wagner’s "Die Walküre," to be staged in January and February in Norfolk, Fairfax and Richmond.

Rescigno replaces Peter Mark, the longtime artistic director of the Virginia Opera, who was dismissed last month.

In addition to the Milwaukee post, which he has held since 1981, Rescigno has been active as a guest conductor with the New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, Washington National Opera and companies in Canada, France and Hungary. He is former artistic director of l’Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal.