Music Director

Maestro Domenico Boyagian, Music Director of The Suburban Symphony Orchestra and Cleveland Opera Theater, has been praised as a “born conductor” and “a conductor for whom the music is the sole point of standing before musicians” (Cleveland Plain Dealer). He has dedicated himself to both symphonic works and opera, producing performances of compelling artistry and beauty. Boyagian is “insightful in his grasp of style, leading the singers and orchestra with sensitivity in tempo and phrase” (Milwaukee’s Shepherd Express).

Boyagian celebrates his 7th season with the Suburban Symphony Orchestra for their 70th season, culminating in the performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on the stage of Severance Hall. This will conclude the Beethoven Cycle initiative, a multi-year journey through the symphonies of Beethoven led by Mo. Boyagian. The SSO 2024-25 season also features composers such as Dvorak, Glinka, Barber, and Sibelius, as well as the annual Young Soloist Concerto Competition. Always a champion for young performers, Mo. Boyagian was also the conductor for the “101 Pianists” program, collaborating with renowned pianist, Lang Lang in March of 2024.

As Music Director, Maestro Boyagian has made Cleveland Opera Theater the primary destination for opera audiences in northeast Ohio, and continues to collaborate with opera companies across the US, including Florentine Opera, Opera Southwest, Florida Grand Opera, Opera North, and the Manhattan School of Music. This fall, he led the companies of Opera Baltimore and Opera Delaware for Puccini’s La bohéme, following previous collaborations for La traviata and Cosí fan tutte.

Maestro Boyagian was born and raised in Bologna, Italy. His exposure to music and opera began at infancy, as the son of the internationally celebrated Verdi baritone Garbis Boyagian. He is a graduate of the Bologna Conservatory, Accademia Musicale Chigiana (in Siena, Italy), and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Maestro Boyagian led the Ohio Philharmonic in a recording of Edvard Grieg selections featuring Antonio Pompa-Baldi for Centaur Records, as well as the world premiere of Margaret Brouwer’s oratorio Voice of the Lake with Blue Streak Ensemble. He has been awarded a “Most Distinguished Artist” grant from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture in Cleveland, and was named “One of 10 most successful Italians under 40 in the U.S.” by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce in New York City.