The article reveals the role of Italian impresario Domenico Barbaya in the development of opera forms in the first half of the 19th century. Although Barbaya became one of the most powerful and influential theatre managers of his time, he still remains almost forgotten historic figure. Today his outstanding skills in administration of the leading European theatres deserve proper studying. Included in important processes of theatrical life, where singers and composers were starring, he established standards of operatic performance and management that stimulated public interest to Italian opera, to the soloists and, finally, to his person. In his work, the competitive impresario effectively used all available resources of the theatre industry (infrastructure, logistics, administration), adding to them his own individual findings and solutions. According to his logic, art and business, profitability and quality of the artistic product were equally important. Introduced into empirical management practice they still retain unconditional value and are able to serve professional development of modern managers.