Marcello Abbado
Marcello Abbado (born 7 October 1926, Milan) is an Italian composer, conductor, and pianist. His compositional output includes several orchestral works, a ballet, numerous pieces for solo piano, and a number of chamber works. He has collaborated on several compositions with Roberto Goitre. In 1989 he was awarded the Gold Medal for Meritorious Culture and Art (Medaglia d'oro ai benemeriti della cultura e dell'arte) by the Government of Italy.
Life and career
Abbado is the son of violinist Michelangelo Abbado, the brother of conductor Claudio Abbado, and the father of conductor Roberto Abbado and digital artist Adriano Abbado. He studied the piano privately with Gianandrea Gavazzeni before entering the Milan Conservatory. After performing for several years as a concert pianist, he took the position of director of the Conservatory "Giuseppe Nicolini" in Piacenza in 1958. He left there in 1966 to become the director of the Conservatory "Gioacchino Rossini" in Pesaro (1966 to 1972), after which he served as director of the Conservatorio "Giuseppe Verdi" of Milan (1972 to 1996). He continues to be active as a pianist and conductor, notably performing frequently with the Vienna Philharmonic with whom he has conducted and played all 27 of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's concertos for piano.[1]