Antonio Pappano

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Sir

Antonio Pappano
Antonio Pappano.JPG
Pappano (right) receiving the Vittorio de Sica prize from President Napolitano (2010)[1]
Born (1959-12-30) 30 December 1959 (age 61)
Epping, Essex, England
Alma materRoyal Academy of Music, London
OccupationConductor
Known forConductor of Royal Opera House, and Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Spouse(s)Pamela Bullock

Sir Antonio Pappano (born 30 December 1959) is an English-Italian conductor and pianist. He is currently music director of the Royal Opera House[2] and of the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the designated next chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.[3]

Early life[]

Pappano was born in Epping, Essex. Pappano's family had relocated to England from Castelfranco in Miscano near Benevento, Italy, in 1958, and at the time of his birth his parents worked in the restaurant business. His father, Pasquale Pappano, was by vocation a singing teacher.[4]

When Pappano was 13 years old, he moved with his family to Connecticut. After musical training in piano, composition, and conducting, he became a rehearsal accompanist at the New York City Opera at the age of 21.[5]

Career[]

Pappano attracted the attention of fellow pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, and became his assistant at the Bayreuth Festival.[6] He worked in Barcelona and Frankfurt, and served as an assistant to Michael Gielen.[7]

Pappano's first conducting appearance at Den Norske Opera was in 1987, and he became music director there in 1990.[4] From 1992 to 2002, Pappano served as Music Director of Royal Theatre of La Monnaie Brussels, Belgium. He was principal guest conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997 to 1999. In 2005, Pappano became music director of the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.[8]

In 2002, Pappano was named the Music Director of the Royal Opera House (ROH), Covent Garden.[4] Pappano was the youngest conductor to lead the orchestra of the ROH, accompanying the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet. At Covent Garden, Pappano and Kasper Holten, the ROH Director of Opera, shared responsibility for production.[9] The ROH contract has renewed Pappano's contract several times, to 2017, and to 2023.[10] In March 2021, the ROH announced the latest extension of Pappano's contract through the 2023-2024 season, and the scheduled conclusion of Pappano's tenure at the close of the 2023-2024 season.[11]

Pappano had first guest-conducted the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in 1996. He has returned as guest conductor to the LSO on over 70 occasions, and made several recordings with the LSO. In March 2021, the LSO announced the appointment of Pappano as its next chief conductor, effective in September 2024. He is scheduled to hold the title of chief conductor-designate in the orchestra's 2023-2024 London season.[12]

Awards & Honours[]

Pappano's awards and honours include Gramophone’s ‘Artist of the Year’ (2000), the 2003 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, the 2004 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award, and the Académie du Disque Lyrique’s Bruno Walter prize. On 17 January 2013 he received the Incorporated Society of Musicians' Distinguished Musician Award.[13] He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2015.[14]

Pappano was knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to music;[15]. In 2012, he was made a Cavaliere di Gran Croce of the Republic of Italy.[4]

Personal life[]

Pappano is married to Pamela Bullock, an American vocal coach [9] and they live in London.

Recordings[]

Pappano records regularly for Warner Classics. His recordings include:

Television[]

Pappano has presented for the BBC including:

  • Pappano's Classical Voices, a four-part series exploring the great roles and the greatest singers of the last 100 years through the prism of the main classical voice types – soprano, tenor, mezzo-soprano, baritone and bass.[citation needed]
  • Opera Italia (BBC, 2010) - a three-part series tracing the history of Italian opera. The first episode covers the beginnings of opera, from Monteverdi to Rossini, plus discussing Handel and Mozart who were pivotal in the development of the art form.[16] The second episode examines six of Verdi's most famous works - Nabucco, Rigoletto, Don Carlo, Otello, Falstaff and La Traviata.[17] The third episode covers five of Puccini's most popular operas - La Boheme, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, Gianni Schicchi and Turandot.[18]

References[]

  1. ^ "Palazzo del Quirinale 23/11/2010". Fotografia – Primo Mandato. Presidenza della Repubblica. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  2. ^ Duchen, Jessica (February 2012). "Balancing Act". Opera News: 18–22.
  3. ^ "Sir Antonio Pappano appointed chief conductor of London Symphony Orchestra". Classic FM. 30 March 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Tonkin, Boyd (6 July 2013). "Sir Antonio Pappano: 'I had no ambition to conduct'". The Independent. Independent News and Media. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  5. ^ Anna Picard (3 December 2006). "Antonio Pappano: Local hero". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  6. ^ Rupert Christiansen (2 September 2002). "High octane, high hopes". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 September 2007.[dead link]
  7. ^ Peter Conrad (23 February 2003). "Lightning conductor". The Observer. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  8. ^ Peter Conrad (12 March 2011). "Antonio Pappano: 'I didn't know what I was. Now I'm discovering my Italian roots.'". The Observer. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Rupert Christiansen (8 September 2008). "Antonio Pappano: the unstoppable maestro". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2008.
  10. ^ Fiona Maddocks (14 November 2018). "Antonio Pappano: Why the maestro isn't bowing out yet". The Observer. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  11. ^ "The Royal Opera House confirms Antonio Pappano as Music Director until 2023/24 Season" (Press release). The Royal Opera. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  12. ^ "London Symphony Orchestra appoints Sir Antonio Pappano as Chief Conductor" (Press release). London Symphony Orchestra. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Sir Antonio Pappano receives prestigious ISM Distinguished Musician Award". Incorporated Society of Musicians. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  14. ^ "Antonio Pappano, Andris Nelsons and Mary Bevan among RPS Awards winners". Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  15. ^ "No. 60009". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2011. p. 1.
  16. ^ BBC Four, Opera Italia, Beginnings
  17. ^ BBC Four, Opera Italia, Viva Verdi
  18. ^ BBC Four, Opera Italia, The Triumph of Puccini

Sources[]

Maeckelbergh, Lucrèce, Antonio Pappano: Con Passione. Snoeck, 2006. ISBN 9053495274.

External links[]

Cultural offices
Preceded by
Sylvain Cambreling 		Music Director, Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels
1992–2002 		Succeeded by
Kazushi Ono
Preceded by
Bernard Haitink 		Music Director, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
2002–2024 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Retrieved from ""