Nello Santi

Nello Santi, born in Adria, in the province of Rovigo, on 22 September 1931, is an Italian conductor trained at the Liceo Musicale in Padua. His operatic career began in 1951 at the Teatro Verdi in that city, with a performance of Rigoletto.

From 1958 he conducted regularly at the Zurich Opera, and he made Zurich his home. In 1960 he made his debut at Covent Garden in London with La traviata and, in the same year, he appeared at the Vienna Staatsoper and at the Salzburg Festival. From then on he worked at the leading international opera houses, making his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1962 with Un ballo in maschera. Between 1986 and 1988 he was chief conductor of the Basel Radio Orchestra and, in 1988, he conducted Aida at the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre, presented as London's first 'open-air opera'.

Santi's repertoire was concentrated almost entirely on the Italian tradition, from Rossini to Puccini. His performances are notable for their grace, their momentum and their ability to draw delicate artistic responses from singers and orchestra. His recordings include Maria Stuarda, Manon Lescaut, Pagliacci and Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re.