Riccardo Muti (born July 28, 1941, in Naples) is an Italian conductor best known for being the Music Director of Milan's La Scala opera house, a position he held from 1986 to 2005, and of The Philadelphia Orchestra from 1980 to 1992. Image File history File links Riccardo_Muti. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Naples (Italian Napoli, Neapolitan Napule, from Greek Νέα Πόλις - Néa Pólis - meaning New City; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of Campania Region and the Province of Naples. ... See Conductor for other possible uses of the word. ... Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese dialect: Milán) is the main city in northern Italy, and is located in the plains of Lombardy, the most populated and developed region in Italy. ... La Scala This article is about the opera house. ... An opera house is a building where operas are performed. ... The Philadelphia Orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the Big Five symphony orchestras in the United States and usually considered among the finest in the world. ...

Muti was born in Naples. In 1967, he won the Cantelli Prize for young conductors. From 1968 to 1980 he was Principal Director and Musical Director of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Naples (Italian Napoli, Neapolitan Napule, from Greek Νέα Πόλις - Néa Pólis - meaning New City; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of Campania Region and the Province of Naples. ...

Since 1972, Muti has regularly conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and was appointed the orchestra's principal conductor after Otto Klemperer left the post. The Philharmonia is an orchestra based in London. ... Otto Klemperer (May 14, 1885 – July 6, 1973) was a German-born conductor and composer. ...

From 1980 to 1992, Muti was Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, which he led on numerous international tours. In 1979, he was appointed its Music Director, and in 1992 Conductor Laureate. Muti's approach was to remain faithful to the intent of the composer. This meant a change from applying the lush "Philadelphia Sound", created by his predecessor, Eugene Ormandy, to all repertoire. The result was more authentic performances in a broad range of repertoire spanning the baroque to commissioned new compositions. Eugene Ormandy in the 1950s Eugene Ormandy (November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a conductor and violinist. ...

In 1987 Muti was appointed principal conductor of the Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, with which in 1988 he received the Viotti d'Oro and with which he went on tour in Italy and in Europe.

He is a regular guest of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. In 1996 Muti conducted the latter at the closing of the Viennese Festival Week, in a tour in the Far East (Japan, Korea, Hong Kong) and in Germany as well as at the Vienna New Year's Concert in 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2004. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the worlds leading orchestras. ... The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (in German: Wiener Philharmoniker) is the best known orchestra in Austria and one of Europes major ensembles. ... The New Year Concert (in German: Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker) of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is a concert that takes place each year in the morning of January 1 in Vienna, Austria. ...

Since 1971 he has been a regular participant of the Salzburg Festival, conducting operas and concerts, where he is particularly known for his Mozart opera performances. The Salzburg Festival is a prominent music festival in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. ...

Apart from La Scala, Muti has conducted operatic productions in Philadelphia, Munich, Vienna and London, and at the Ravenna Festival.

At La Scala, Muti was noted for exploring lesser-known works of the neo-classical repertoire such as Lodoiska by Luigi Cherubini and La Vestale by Gaspare Spontini. Luigi Cherubini (September 14, 1760 – March 15, 1842) was an Italian composer. ... La Vestale (The Vestal Virgin) is an opera composed by Gaspare Spontini to a French libretto by Etienne de Jouy. ... Gaspare Spontini (14 November 1774 – 24 January 1851) was an Italian opera composer and conductor. ...

On March 16, 2005, the orchestra and staff of La Scala voted overwhelmingly against Muti in a motion of no-confidence. This arose from a dispute with La Scala's general manager Carlo Fontana which resulted in Mr. Fontana's dismissal the preceding month. Muti was forced to cancel a concert prior to the vote, and some other productions were disrupted at the theater because of continuing rifts with Fontana's supporters. On April 2 he resigned from La Scala, citing "hostility" from staff members. March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ...

External link

• Official bio (at Sony Classics)