Around the Music Festival

Italian conductor Gabriele Ferro passed away at his home in Palermo on October 29. He was 88 years old. Throughout his career, he served as music director at institutions including the Teatro Massimo in Palermo and the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. He held the title of honorary music director for life at the Teatro Massimo, where he had last stood on the podium on October 11.

Born in Pescara, on the Adriatic coast of central Italy, he studied piano and composition at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and furthered his training under conductor Franco Ferrara. In 1970, he won a conducting competition organized by RAI, which launched his career as a conductor across Italy.

Subsequently, he held a series of positions, including with the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra (1979–1997), the RAI Orchestra in Rome (1987–1991), as General Music Director at the Stuttgart State Theatre (1992–1997), and as Music Director at the Teatro di San Carlo (1999–2004). He also served as Principal Conductor of the Teatro Massimo (2001–2006) and, from 2014, held the title of Honorary Music Director for Life.

In addition to conducting opera, he has maintained close associations with composers such as Luciano Berio, Luigi Nono, György Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Wolfgang Rihm, and has conducted numerous world premieres of their works.

PHOTO：Fondazione Teatro Massimo