Claudio Abbado

Italian conductor (1933–2014)

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Lived 1933–2014, aged 81Italy

Italy MusiciansSinger / Musician

Wikipedia
60 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1933–2014
Aged 81
Known for
La Cenerentola
1981

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

He held the baton at La Scala, the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony, and the Vienna State Opera — not serially, but as a career that stacked the world's most demanding posts into one lifetime.

Biography

About

Claudio Abbado was born in Milan on 26 June 1933. He rose to music director of La Scala, then principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and music director of the Vienna State Opera. He also served as principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Beyond inheriting institutions, he built them: he founded and directed the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and the Orchestra Mozart, and became founding artistic director of the European Union Youth Orchestra. Italy named him Senator for life; the Ernst…

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