Donato Celentano

Donato Celentano is a versatile baritone, educator, and Piano Technician based in Baltimore, Maryland. A registered piano technician with the Piano Technicians Guild, Donato’s primary professional work is with PianoCraft, one of the nation’s premier piano rebuilding companies. As a member of the PianoCraft team, he contributes to the restoration and preparation of exceptional instruments featured at distinguished venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and the White House. He also serves as a piano technician at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, maintaining and preparing instruments for students, faculty, and visiting artists.

 

Donato trained under renowned piano technicians Renee Kelsey and John Kopako, whose careers include work with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Opera. He specializes in precision tuning, regulation, and restoration, bringing together meticulous craftsmanship, technical expertise, and a musician’s sensitivity to the instrument. His work is guided by the belief that exceptional piano preparation allows both the instrument and the artist to perform at their highest level.

 

As an educator, Donato works with singers to develop healthy, sustainable technique grounded in vocal anatomy, the Alexander Technique, and actor-centered performance training. His teaching emphasizes both technical freedom and expressive authenticity, helping performers build a strong foundation while developing their individual artistic voices.

 

As a performer, Donato’s work encompasses opera, oratorio, art song, musical theatre, jazz, and blues. He has appeared as a featured soloist with the Vienna Boys Choir in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, and has performed as a backup vocalist for Barry Manilow and Queen Latifah. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the Boston Conservatory and a Master of Music from the Peabody Institute.