ABOUT
Alfred Savia has enjoyed a career spanning over four decades as a conductor in both the
symphonic and operatic realms. He has established a reputation as an orchestra builder,
and as a prolific guest conductor in the Americas and abroad.
Until 2020, Maestro Savia served as the Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic
Orchestra for 31 seasons, and continues as its Conductor Laureate. Under his leadership
the Orchestra added a Youth Orchestra program, Philharmonic Chorus, and a full-time
String Quartet. He initiated many new programs including Messiah, Nutcracker, Music
Alive residencies, and fully staged opera presentations. Savia’s American guest
conducting appearances include the Orchestras of Saint Louis, Detroit, Phoenix,
Columbus, Memphis, San Antonio, Louisville, New Orleans and Naples (FL).
Internationally, he has conducted orchestras extensively in Europe (Florence, Belgrade),
Central and South America (Santiago, Montevideo, Quito; Toluca and Jalapa in Mexico),
and Asia (Korea Philharmonic). Festival appearances include Chicago’s Grant Park
Symphony and the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival. He recorded Russell Peck’s The
Thrill of the Orchestra with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and, with pianist
Antonio Pompa-Baldi and the Evansville Philharmonic, Respighi’s Piano Concerto.
A native of Livingston, New Jersey, Savia graduated from Butler University followed by
conducting studies at Juilliard, and the ASOL’s Institute of Orchestral Studies. After
hearing the 22-year-old Savia conduct, Leonard Bernstein recommended him to the
Tanglewood Music Center, which led to his first professional appointment as Assistant
Conductor of The Omaha Symphony. Subsequently, he served as Associate Conductor of
the Florida Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Orlando Opera, and Resident
Conductor of the Florida Philharmonic and New Orleans Symphony Orchestra.
Savia served as Associate Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony and Artistic Director
of Symphony On the Prairie from 1990 to1996. He has returned nearly every season
since then to guest conduct the ISO most notably in their annual “Star Spangled
Symphony” concerts at Conner Prairie over the 4th of July holiday.
In his earliest operatic training, Savia studied in Milan, Italy with Enrico Pessina, a
conductor at La Scala, who himself had been an assistant conductor under Arturo
Toscanini, Pietro Mascagni and Giacomo Puccini. In 2013 he conducted La Traviata on
the island of Giglio in Tuscany as part of Italy’s commemoration of the 200th anniversary
Verdi’s birth. In 2017 he led the Indianapolis Opera production of La Traviata, and in
2019, as Indy Opera’s newly appointed Artistic Advisor & Principal Conductor, L’Elisir
d’Amore. At Indianapolis Opera, Maestro Savia leads two opera productions each season,
the annual Opera in the Park concert at Garfield Park, and works extensively as the music
director for Indy Opera’s Resident Artist programs.
This season Maestro Savia conducts Indy Opera’s 50 th Anniversary Gala Concert with the
Indianapolis Symphony in March, and a special production of Leonard Bernstein’s West
Side Story at the Indianapolis Zoo in May. In addition he returns to conduct the
Evansville Philharmonic in their 90 th Anniversary season in February, and to Opera
Orlando in April for Beatrice and Benedict and Cavalleria Rusticana. In July he once
again conducts the Indianapolis Symphony’s “Star Spangled Symphony” concerts.
In 2013 Savia was made a Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana’s highest civilian honor.
symphonic and operatic realms. He has established a reputation as an orchestra builder,
and as a prolific guest conductor in the Americas and abroad.
Until 2020, Maestro Savia served as the Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic
Orchestra for 31 seasons, and continues as its Conductor Laureate. Under his leadership
the Orchestra added a Youth Orchestra program, Philharmonic Chorus, and a full-time
String Quartet. He initiated many new programs including Messiah, Nutcracker, Music
Alive residencies, and fully staged opera presentations. Savia’s American guest
conducting appearances include the Orchestras of Saint Louis, Detroit, Phoenix,
Columbus, Memphis, San Antonio, Louisville, New Orleans and Naples (FL).
Internationally, he has conducted orchestras extensively in Europe (Florence, Belgrade),
Central and South America (Santiago, Montevideo, Quito; Toluca and Jalapa in Mexico),
and Asia (Korea Philharmonic). Festival appearances include Chicago’s Grant Park
Symphony and the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival. He recorded Russell Peck’s The
Thrill of the Orchestra with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and, with pianist
Antonio Pompa-Baldi and the Evansville Philharmonic, Respighi’s Piano Concerto.
A native of Livingston, New Jersey, Savia graduated from Butler University followed by
conducting studies at Juilliard, and the ASOL’s Institute of Orchestral Studies. After
hearing the 22-year-old Savia conduct, Leonard Bernstein recommended him to the
Tanglewood Music Center, which led to his first professional appointment as Assistant
Conductor of The Omaha Symphony. Subsequently, he served as Associate Conductor of
the Florida Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Orlando Opera, and Resident
Conductor of the Florida Philharmonic and New Orleans Symphony Orchestra.
Savia served as Associate Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony and Artistic Director
of Symphony On the Prairie from 1990 to1996. He has returned nearly every season
since then to guest conduct the ISO most notably in their annual “Star Spangled
Symphony” concerts at Conner Prairie over the 4th of July holiday.
In his earliest operatic training, Savia studied in Milan, Italy with Enrico Pessina, a
conductor at La Scala, who himself had been an assistant conductor under Arturo
Toscanini, Pietro Mascagni and Giacomo Puccini. In 2013 he conducted La Traviata on
the island of Giglio in Tuscany as part of Italy’s commemoration of the 200th anniversary
Verdi’s birth. In 2017 he led the Indianapolis Opera production of La Traviata, and in
2019, as Indy Opera’s newly appointed Artistic Advisor & Principal Conductor, L’Elisir
d’Amore. At Indianapolis Opera, Maestro Savia leads two opera productions each season,
the annual Opera in the Park concert at Garfield Park, and works extensively as the music
director for Indy Opera’s Resident Artist programs.
This season Maestro Savia conducts Indy Opera’s 50 th Anniversary Gala Concert with the
Indianapolis Symphony in March, and a special production of Leonard Bernstein’s West
Side Story at the Indianapolis Zoo in May. In addition he returns to conduct the
Evansville Philharmonic in their 90 th Anniversary season in February, and to Opera
Orlando in April for Beatrice and Benedict and Cavalleria Rusticana. In July he once
again conducts the Indianapolis Symphony’s “Star Spangled Symphony” concerts.
In 2013 Savia was made a Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana’s highest civilian honor.
