Claudio Scimone

Claudio Scimone, who died aged 83 on 6th September 2018, was an Italian conductor famous as a leading exponent of Baroque and Renaissance music. Born in the north of Italy, he studied under conductors Franco Ferrara and Dmitri Mitropoulos and in 1959 he created the chamber music ensemble I Solisti Veneti. They performed around the world and released a long list of recordings that feature the works of Vivaldi, Rossini, Handel, Mozart, Puccini and Salieri. He received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Opera Recording for 'Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri' with Marilyn Horne and Samuel Ramey in 1981. His recording of 'Albinoni's Adagios' with I Solisti Veneti went to number 17 on Billboard's Classical Albums Chart in 1999. He maintained a connection with I Solisti Veneti and also was honorary conductor of the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon, Portugal.