Gino Marinuzzi

Gino Marinuzzi (Palermo, 1882 – Milan, 1945) was one of the great Italian conductors of the first half of the twentieth century, as well as a composer. His name is linked to Italian grand opera and to the promotion of repertoire that was rarely heard in the theatres of his country.

He trained in composition at the Palermo Conservatory under Zuelli. He made his debut as a conductor in 1901 at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, with Rigoletto, and his career subsequently took him to international stages.

He conducted contemporary repertoire, particularly that of Richard Strauss, whom he introduced to Italy, and that of Puccini, whose La rondine he premiered in Monte Carlo in 1917. He directed the Bologna Conservatory from 1916 to 1918, succeeding Busoni, and in 1920–21 he was artistic director of the Chicago Opera Association. Between 1928 and 1934 he directed the Rome Opera, and he then went on to La Scala in Milan, where he remained until his death.

He is regarded as one of the great Italian interpreters of Wagner and an excellent champion of the lesser-known operas of Donizetti and Bellini. He composed three operas: Barberina (1903), Jacquerie (1918) and Palla de' Mozzi (1932). In 1982 La Scala organised a study conference to mark the centenary of his birth.