Born in Bologna, NICOLETTA CONTI studied piano, composition and conducting at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan and the Conservatorio di Musica G.B. Martini in Bologna. She also graduated from the University of Bologna in Musical Aesthetics at DAMS (disciplines of art, music and drama), Faculty of Literature and Philosophy at the University of Bologna, Musicology (equivalent to a Master's Degree).

She continued her studies in conducting with Franco Ferrara (Siena), Leopold Hager (Salzburg), Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa and Kurt Masur(Tanglewood). Winner of numerous prizes, including, inter alia, the First Prize Musica da Camera “Città di Stresa”, the Third Prize at Nicolai Malko for Orchestra Conductors (Copenhagen), she began her career as a conductor in Italy and abroad, dedicating herself both to the operatic and symphonic repertoire.

Following the conductor’s course held by Leonard Bernstein at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, she was chosen by Maestro Bernstein to be his assistant conductor and to make her debut with the “ Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia”.

At the Capitol she received the prestigious Minerva Prize for the arts, the first Italian musician to be awarded it. In 2006 she received the honour of “Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana” by the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

She has since collaborated with important festivals and theatres, including Covent Garden, Teatro Comunale in Florence, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Rossini Opera Festival, and the Festival of the Itria Valley. She combines her operatic work with a concert career, and has appeared alongside Luciano Pavarotti, Renato Bruson, Leo Nucci, and Daniela Dessì. Orchestras she has conducted include: Orchestra Arturo Toscanini, Orchestra of the Arena di Verona, the Tanglewood Music Festival Orchestra, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, the Kiushu Symphony Orchestra, the Hungarian Symphonic Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Ferrara, Orchestra da Camera di Bologna, Orchestra “I Filarmonici di Bologna”, Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino, Rishon Le Tzion Orchestra, Orchestra “I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano”, Stuttgarter Filarmoniker.

Most recentley she has conducted Don Giovanni by Gazzaniga at the Teatro Regio di Torino, two contemporary operas in their premières performances at the Festival Mozart di Rovereto and at Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Nabucco and Madama Butterfly in the Beppe De Tomasi production at Teatro di Ascoli Piceno and Teatro di Fano.

In August 2000 she assisted Maestro Antonio Pappano in London for the recording of the CD and film of Tosca with the Orchestra of Covent Garden. Maestro Conti received great acclaim when she conducted Madama Butterfly at the International Festival at Montepulciano. In August 2001 Maestro Conti assisted Maestro Pappano with the London Symphony Orchestra for the recording of Il Trovatore and most recently she conducted a concert in Lisbon with Angela Gheorghiu.

She conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the double bill of I Pagliacci and Suor Angelica for Opera Holland Park, and in a production of La Belle Helène for the theatres of Pisa, Lucca and Livorno. She conducted Il Trovatore, La Traviata and some Gala Concerts in Tokyo with the Tokyo Philarmonic.

Most recently she has conducted the Orchestra of Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the Israel Symphony Orchestra of Rishon LeZion, the Haydn Orchestra in Bolzano, the Verdi Orchestra in Milan, a production of “La Tragédie de Carmen” with the direction of Franco Ripa di Meana.

In 2009 Nicoletta Conti conducted the annual concert for the European Parliament.

Nicoletta regularly conducts in Japan.

In March 2010 Nicoletta was selected as one of the three candidates for the position of Director of Orchestral activities at Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

This season, she will conduct Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera Sai Company in Tokyo and she will give a talk about Lucia di Lammermoor at the Italian Institute of Culture in Tokyo.