Following months of speculation, Scottish Opera has announced the appointment of Italian conductor Francesco Corti as its new music director. The hiring follows a season of commercial and critical success for the company.

Speaking to The List from Scottish Opera’s Glasgow headquarters, Corti said he hoped to build on the foundations already in place and planned to strike a balance between popular and lesser-known works.

‘I was honoured both personally and professionally to be asked to become the fourth music director of Scottish Opera. When I came here as a guest conductor for Madama Butterfly, I was welcomed with respect and trust. In an opera company, these are the basic ingredients in aiming for common success. The foundations are in place, and I am ready to commit myself totally in this important step.

‘I have thousands of ideas to put on the table. My job is to create a balance between more popular works together with pieces that are less popular but equally interesting.’

Corti is currently music director of Magdeburg Opera in Germany. In 2004/05 he made his US debut conducting Il Barbiere di Siviglia for San Francisco Opera. Corti recently made his UK conducting debut with Scottish Opera in the Spring with Madama Butterfly.

Corti will work alongside Scottish Opera’s general director Alex Reedijk shaping artistic policy and will conduct half of the company’s full-scale opera season.

Reedijk said of the appointment: ‘It has been important to take the time to find the right person for Scottish Opera and we were drawn by Francesco’s innate musicality. It is a joy to have someone of his stature, experience, enthusiasm and wisdom.’

‘Both of us have a similar vision and are keen to lift the number of operas per year. The appointment of Francesco as music director is the final step on our journey of returning to form.’

The appointment comes in the wake of recent news that the opera company has brought to together such high profile talents as Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin, Craig Armstrong and Patrick Doyle for Five: 15, a series of 15-minute operas, to be showcased next year.

More imminent highlights for the upcoming season include The Barber of Seville, with direction from world-renowned opera singer Sir Thomas Allen, and Mozart’s Seraglio.