Anton Coppola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anton Coppola
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Coppola backstage at the Belk Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2001 during a production of Puccini's Turandot which he conducted for Opera Carolina.
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| Born |
Antonio Francesco Coppola
March 21, 1917 New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Died | March 9, 2020 (aged 102) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Spouse(s) |
Marion Jane Miller
(m. 1943, divorced)Almarinda Drago
(m. 1950) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Carmine Coppola (brother) |
| Family | Coppola |
Antonio Francesco Coppola (born March 21, 1917 – died March 9, 2020) was an American conductor and composer. He was famous for his work with operas. He was also the uncle of film director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire. He was the great-uncle of actors Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman. His younger brother was the musician Carmine Coppola.
Life Story
Anton Coppola was born in Ocean Hill, Brooklyn, New York, on March 21, 1917. He grew up mostly in East Harlem. His parents, Maria and Agostino Coppola, came to the United States from Italy.
Coppola started his music career very young. He joined the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus when he was just eight years old. At age nine, he was part of the Met's first show of the opera Turandot.
During World War II, he served as an army bandmaster. After the war, he became a conductor at Radio City Music Hall. He also directed the Symphony and Opera Departments at the Manhattan School of Music. He earned two degrees in composition from this school in the 1960s. He also received special honorary doctorates from two universities.
Coppola was married twice. His first wife was Marion Jane Miller, a ballet dancer. They had one child, Susan. Later, he married Almarinda Drago in 1950, who was also a ballet dancer. They had two children, Lucia and Bruno.
He lived a very long life, turning 100 years old in March 2017. He even became a great-great-grand-uncle in 2014!
His Musical Works
Coppola wrote many musical pieces. These include a violin concerto and a symphony. He also wrote an opera called Sacco and Vanzetti. This opera was about two immigrants, and it was written in both Italian and English.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Coppola was the music director for six Broadway musicals. Some of these were Silk Stockings and The Boy Friend.
He also conducted music for two movies: The Godfather Part III (1990) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). In The Godfather Part III, he even appeared on screen. You can see him conducting the opera Cavalleria rusticana in a theater in Italy.
In 1965, he made his debut with the New York City Opera. He conducted the first-ever performance of Jack Beeson's opera Lizzie Borden. He also led performances of other famous operas like Carmen and Madama Butterfly. In 1970, he conducted the first performance of Carlisle Floyd's opera Of Mice and Men at the Seattle Opera.
Coppola helped start Opera Tampa in 1996. He was its first Artistic Director. One of his important productions there was the world premiere of his own opera, Sacco and Vanzetti, in 2001. He retired from this role in 2012.
He received many honors for his work. The Puccini Foundation gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Italian government also recognized him with a special title, Cavaliere, Gran Ufficiale.
Coppola also worked with the Orchestra Verdi in Milan and the famous singer Angela Gheorghiu. They recorded works by Puccini together.
Special Award
In 2008, Opera Tampa created an award in his honor. It's called the Anton Coppola Excellence in the Arts Award. This award is given each year to an artist who has made big contributions to Opera Tampa and the world of music. It especially honors those who help keep opera alive and strong. Anton Coppola himself received this award in 2012, the year he retired.
Film and TV Appearances
- The Godfather Part III (1990) - Conductor of 'Cavalleria Rusticana' (uncredited)
- Mozart in the Jungle (2015) - Anton Gallo
See also
In Spanish: Anton Coppola para niños
- Coppola family tree
