Tullio Serafin (1 September 1878 – 2 February 1968)[1] was an Italian
conductor and former Musical Director at
La Scala.
Biography
Tullio Serafin was a leading Italian opera conductor with a long career and a very broad repertoire who revived many 19th-century bel canto operas by
Bellini,
Rossini and
Donizetti to become staples of 20th-century repertoire. He had an unparalleled reputation as a coach of young opera singers and famously harnessed and developed both
Renata Tebaldi's and
Maria Callas's considerable talents.
Born in Rottanova (
Cavarzere), near
Venice, and trained in Milan, he played
viola in the Orchestra of
La Scala, Milan under
Arturo Toscanini, later being appointed Assistant Conductor. He took over as Music Director at La Scala when Toscanini left to go to New York, and served 1909–1914, 1917–1918, and returned briefly after the Second World War, 1946–1947.[1]
Maestro Serafin was very appreciated in
Buenos Aires. During 9 seasons at the
Teatro Colón between 1914 and 1951, he conducted 368 opera performances of 63 different operas. This included many operas that are seldom performed, by composers such as Alfano, Catalani, Giordano, Massenet, Montemezzi, Monteverdi, Pizzetti, Respighi, Rimsky Korsakov, and Zandonai.[3]