Musician, Opera Conductor. He was a leading Italian opera conductor, musician, musical and artistic director, with a long career and broad repertoire who revived and popularized many 19th-century bel-canto operas by composers such as Giuseppe Verdi, Vincenzo Bellini, Gioachino Rossini and Gaetano Donizetti. A child prodigy at violin, he had a wide range of musical talents and made his conducting debut in Ferrara at the age of 20 with Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore". He was held in high regard by conductor Arturo Toscanini, and generally considered second only to him in influence and reputation, of the Italian maestros. Some of his most important positions included Musical Director at Teatro La Scala, Milan (1909 to 1914, 1917 to 18, and 1946 to 1947), Artistic Director at Teatro Reale, Rome (1934 to 1943), and conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City, New York (1924 to 1934). He was instrumental in discovering, mentoring and promoting the careers of world-renown opera divas such as Rosa Ponselle, Dame Joan Sutherland, and especially Maria Callas. He conducted and coached Sutherland in her 1959 debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". From 1952 to 1960, Serafin conducted La Scala's orchestra for some of Maria Callas's greatest full opera recordings with EMI, such as "Norma" (1954), "Aida" (1955) and "Rigoletto" (1955). In his personal life, he married the operatic soprano Elena Rakowska. Tullio Serafin passed away alone in his apartment in Rome. For some time, the authorities were unaware of his name, until his friends inquired, and returned him to lie at rest next to his mother in Cavarzere.
Musician, Opera Conductor. He was a leading Italian opera conductor, musician, musical and artistic director, with a long career and broad repertoire who revived and popularized many 19th-century bel-canto operas by composers such as Giuseppe Verdi, Vincenzo Bellini, Gioachino Rossini and Gaetano Donizetti. A child prodigy at violin, he had a wide range of musical talents and made his conducting debut in Ferrara at the age of 20 with Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore". He was held in high regard by conductor Arturo Toscanini, and generally considered second only to him in influence and reputation, of the Italian maestros. Some of his most important positions included Musical Director at Teatro La Scala, Milan (1909 to 1914, 1917 to 18, and 1946 to 1947), Artistic Director at Teatro Reale, Rome (1934 to 1943), and conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City, New York (1924 to 1934). He was instrumental in discovering, mentoring and promoting the careers of world-renown opera divas such as Rosa Ponselle, Dame Joan Sutherland, and especially Maria Callas. He conducted and coached Sutherland in her 1959 debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". From 1952 to 1960, Serafin conducted La Scala's orchestra for some of Maria Callas's greatest full opera recordings with EMI, such as "Norma" (1954), "Aida" (1955) and "Rigoletto" (1955). In his personal life, he married the operatic soprano Elena Rakowska. Tullio Serafin passed away alone in his apartment in Rome. For some time, the authorities were unaware of his name, until his friends inquired, and returned him to lie at rest next to his mother in Cavarzere.
Bio by: StarrySky
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