Marcello Abbado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcello Abbado
Abbado in 1959
Born	(1926-10-07)7 October 1926 Milan, Italy
Died	4 June 2020(2020-06-04) (aged 93) Stresa, Italy
Education	Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory
Occupation	Classical pianist Composer Conductor Academic teacher
Organization	Conservatory of Bologna Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory Symphonic Orchestra of Milan "Giuseppe Verdi"

Marcello Abbado (born October 7, 1926 – died June 4, 2020) was a talented Italian musician. He was a wonderful pianist, a composer who wrote many pieces, a conductor who led orchestras, and a teacher at music schools. He wrote music for orchestras, ballets, and solo piano. As a pianist, he performed in famous concert halls around the world. He also taught music composition, especially at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory. In 1989, he received a special award from the Italian government for his contributions to culture and art.

Early Life and Music Studies

Marcello Abbado was born in Milan, Italy. He came from a family of famous musicians. His father, Michelangelo Abbado, was a violinist. His brother, Claudio Abbado, became a well-known conductor. His son, Roberto Abbado, also became a conductor, and his other son, Adriano, is a digital artist.

Marcello started his music journey by studying piano at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory. He learned from great teachers like Gianandrea Gavazzeni. He finished his piano studies in 1944. Later, he continued to study how to compose music. He earned his diploma in composition in 1947.

A Career in Music

Marcello Abbado was a very active pianist. He played all 27 of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's piano concertos with the famous Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. He also performed all of Debussy's piano works. His performances included music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Alessandro Scarlatti. He played challenging piano concertos by composers like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Prokofiev. He even played Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand.

He traveled the world to perform, playing in major cities like London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Moscow.

Teaching and Leading Music Schools

Besides performing, Abbado was also a dedicated teacher. He taught music composition at the Conservatory of Bologna for twelve years. He also taught in Parma and Piacenza.

He became the director of several important music schools. He led the Giuseppe Nicolini Conservatory in Piacenza from 1958 to 1966. Then, he directed the Conservatory "Gioacchino Rossini" in Pesaro from 1966 to 1972. Finally, he became the director of the famous Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, where he worked from 1972 to 1996.

Abbado was also part of the board at the famous Teatro alla Scala opera house for 24 years. In 1993, he helped create the Symphonic Orchestra of Milan "Giuseppe Verdi". He was their artistic director from 1993 to 1996. He also taught special music classes around the world, including in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

His Compositions

Marcello Abbado wrote many musical pieces. Important Italian music publishers like Ricordi published his works. His music was so popular that special concerts featuring only his compositions were held in Japan, Russia, and the United States.

Judging Music Competitions

Abbado was often asked to be a judge at international music competitions. He served on juries for famous contests like the Beethoven Competition in Vienna and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth. He also judged the Maria Canals International Music Competition in Barcelona and the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv, among many others.

Later Life and Passing

Marcello Abbado passed away in Stresa, Italy, when he was 93 years old.

List of Compositions

Marcello Abbado composed many different types of music. This includes ballets, songs for choirs and solo singers, orchestral works, and chamber music (music for a small group of instruments). Many of his pieces included the piano.

See also

In Spanish: Marcello Abbado para niños