[1] He was the artistic director of the opera program at the Mannes School of Music for 20 years.
[2][better source needed] In 1993, Colaneri conducted the world premiere of Hugo Weisgall's opera Esther at the New York City Opera.
In 1995, he led the American premiere of Toshiro Mayuzumi's 1976 opera Kinkaku-ji at the same venue.
[3] West Australian Opera announced in January 2012 that Colaneri would take up the position of artistic director of the company, succeeding Richard Mills, who moved to Victorian Opera after holding that position for 15 years.
[5] In 2013, the Glimmerglass Festival, an opera and theater company in Cooperstown, New York, announced that Colaneri has been named its new music director.