Gaetano Castelli

SET DESIGNER

Television, Variety, University Teaching, Musical, Theatre, Interiors.

Considered Italy's top set designer for over twenty years, has designed sets for every major entertainment and news program on Italian TV, Cabaret work includes The Moulin Rouge and Lido, Selected by Egyptian government to design scenery for Cairo Opera House inauguration. Recipient of major international awards for outstanding set design. Over thirty years of teaching at Europe's only fully accredited set design department of higher education (Chairholder since 1975). Speaking engagements include universities in Finland, the Czech Republic and Poland. Extensive experience in interior design. Fluent in French.

TELEVISION VARIETY PROGRAMS

Caetano Castelli began his career in set design with RAI-TV in 1964, and since then has designed sets for approximately 20 - 30 major television productions per year. He has worked with the top international names in the entertainment business, including Lucianno Pavarotti, Sophia Loren, Jerry Lewis, Liza Minelli, Tina Turner, Duran Duran, Al Jarreau and The Nicholas Brothers, as well as every Italian star (Raffaella Carra', Lucio Dalla, Adriano Celentano, Massimo Ranieri, Fiorello, etc.). His sets for the annual Sanremo Music Festival are legendary. Professor Castelli designed the set for Italian.

Professor Castelli designed the set for Italian television's first broadcast in color and is considered an innovator in the use of lighting. Besides variety shows, he has worked in every genre of television programming, i.e. news, talk shows, drama.

MUSICAL THEATRE

In 1983, Professor Castelli was hired to design sets for the Lido's new production, entitled "Panache", which opened in 1984. On the strength of his work there, he became the Moulin Rouge's designer in 1986, in a collaboration that lasts to this day. His most recent production, Feerie' 2000, has been heralded in the European press (Le Monde, La Stampa, etc.) as the most beautiful ever presented by the Moulin Rouge.

In the 1980s, he also worked as principal designer at La Scala cabarets in Madrid and Barcelona.

In 1989, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture engaged Professor Castelli to design the set of "The Arabian Nights" for its Cairo Opera House Inauguration,

INTERIOR DESIGN

Professor Castelli has also distinguished himself in designing interiors for hotels, villas, and private residences throughout Italy fThe Hilton Hotel in Rome, the Cefim Society, Villa Ciada, Villa Adriana, Maurice Messegue' Health Center, and at Via Margutta, 51, Rome, one of the locations used for the film, "Roman Holiday"),

TEACHING

Professor of Set Design since 1965 (Chairholder since 1975)
Accademia delle Belle Arti - Rome, Italy
Professor of Painting (1962 - 1965)
Liceo Artistico - Rome, Italy

Website

Gaetano Castelli