Melbourne-born pianist, vocal coach and conductor, Siro Battaglin has recently returned to Opera Australia following several years overseas. His first engagements led him to the Victoria State Opera and The Australian Opera as well as public appearances in concerts throughout Australia, Germany and Switzerland. From 1998 he was active in Europe, working as repetiteur at the International Opernstudio of the Zurich Opera, at the State Opera of Hannover, and from 2001-2012 at the Cologne Opera, where he was also Director of the International Opera Studio of the Cologne Opera from 2010. He was also a member of teaching staff teacher at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne and received regular invitations as guest coach at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen and the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar. Next to his role at Opera Australia, he is also currently a staff coach at the University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in 2014 was a mentor teacher for the Melba Trust.