Marcello Viotti

Swiss-born conductor Marcello Viotti, whose parents are both Italian, died on 16 February 2005 in Munich. He suffered a stroke on Wednesday 9 February 2005 whilst conducting a rehearsal for Massenet's Manon and was taken to Munich's Bogenhauser Hospital for an operation on Friday 11 February. He was kept in an artifical coma to increase his chances of recovery, but sadly he died on Thursday morning 17 February. He was married to a former violinist and leaves three children. The family live in Lorraine, France, but Viotti worked as Chief Conductor with the Bayerische Rundfunk orchestra in Munich, which is facing dissolution in the near future.

Born in 1954 at Vallorbe in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, Viotti studied piano, singing and cello at the conservatory in Lausanne, and made his début in Geneva as conductor of his own wind group. His career began in 1982, after winning first prize at the Gino Marinuzzi competition in Italy, and he worked in Turin, Lucerne, Bremen and Saarbrücken.

From 1996 to 1999 he was one of three chief conductors of the MDR Symphonieorchester Leipzig, and in 1998 he became chief conductor of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, where he gained a reputation for inspired programme selection, especially in the Paradisi Gloria concert cycle presenting spiritual music of the 20th century. In January 2002 he became Direttore musicale at La Fenice in Venice, where he enjoyed international acclaim.

Viotti made many recordings for Erato and Nightingale, and he also recorded for DGG, Claves, Koch/Schwann, BMG and EMI.

Information: www.classicalmusicdaily.com/articles/v/m/marcello-viotti.htm

Posted: 17 February 2005

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