Valentina Peleggi has been Music Director of the Richmond Symphony (Virginia, USA) since the 20/21 season and recently renewed her contract to Summer 2028, having already revitalized the orchestra's artistic output. While focusing on developing the orchestra's own sound she has also launched new concert formats, joined national co-commission partnerships, started a three-year composer-in-residence programme, launched conducting masterclasses in collaboration with the local universities, and championed neglected composers from diverse backgrounds. During the pandemic she sat on the jury of the first virtual Menuhin Competition hosted by the Richmond Symphony.

Peleggi's guest appearances in North America have included the Chicago, Dallas, Baltimore, New World, Kansas City and Colorado symphonies and at the Grant Park Music Festival. In 24/25 she debuts with the Indianapolis, Pacific and Vancouver symphonies. European engagements this coming season include debuts with the London Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Haydn Orchestra Bolzano, and return visits to the Residentie Orkest, Liege Philharmonic and Opera North orchestras as well as to the BBC Singers. She has previously conducted the Royal Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ulster Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Antwerp Symphony, Nuremberg Symphoniker, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Norrkoping Symphony, Orchestra della Toscana, Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano and Arena di Verona orchestras and at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.

Opera (especially bel canto) is vital part of Peleggi's activity. In May 2024 she made a hugely successful debut at Seattle Opera with Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and will conduct Rossini's Semiramide at the Opera de Rouen in 2025. She has previously conducted Le Comte Ory with the Philharmonia Orchestra at Garsington Opera and Rigoletto at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, and made her Opera de Lyon debut with Piazzolla's Maria de Buenos Aires. Whilst a Mackerras Fellow at English National Opera in 2018 and 2019 she conducted a wide range of repertoire including Carmen and La Boheme.

2021 saw the release of her first CD, featuring a cappella works by Villa Lobos in a new critical edition for Naxos guest edited by Peleggi and performed by the Sao Paulo Symphony Chorus, where she returned in 2023 to conduct an a cappella concert. While acting Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Chorus, she was concurrently Resident Conductor of the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra and Music Director (responsible for Italian repertoire) of the Theatro Sao Pedro in Sao Paulo.

The first Italian woman to enter the conducting programme at the Royal Academy of Music of London, she graduated with Distinction and was awarded the DipRAM for an outstanding final concert, as well as numerous other prizes, and was recently honoured with the title of Associate. She furthered her studies with David Zinman and Daniele Gatti at the Zurich Tonhalle and at the Royal Concertgebouw masterclasses. She won the 2014 Conducting Prize at the Festival International de Inverno Campos do Jordao, was awarded a Bruno Walter Foundation Scholarship at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California, and received the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship 2015-2017 under Marin Alsop.

Peleggi holds a Master in Conducting with Honours from the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome, and in 2013 she received the Accademia Chigiana's highest award, going on to assist Bruno Campanella and Gianluigi Gelmetti at Teatro Regio di Torino, Opera Bastille Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro Regio di Parma and Teatro San Carlo. She also assisted on a live worldwide broadcast and DVD production of Rossini's Cenerentola with the Orchestra Nazionale della RAI. From 2005 to 2015 she was the Principal Conductor and Music Director of the University Choir in Florence and remains their Honorary Conductor, receiving a special award from the Government in 2011 in recognition of her work there. Peleggi is passionate about the arts and holds a Master in Comparative Literature.

June 2024