Riccardo Muti

Neopolitan conductor Riccardo Muti – born July 28, 1941, in Naples, Italy - is one of the most successful and highly sought after conductors in modern times. He graduated from the Liceo Classico in Naples before studying piano under Vicenzo Vitale at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella. From the early 1970s, Riccardo Muti was a regular feature on the program of the Salzburg festival where he became known for his work with Mozart's operas. He went on to become the musical director at Milan's famous La Scala, a post he held for almost 20 years. His tenure at La Scala ended in 2003 after Muti had a much-publicized disagreement with the general manager, Carlo Fontana. In the build-up to his resignation, the problem had become so serious that performances were being cancelled with the staff and musicians agreed overwhelmingly in a vote of no confidence against Riccardo Muti. The adverse publicity apparently did no harm to his career since he took up the post as principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, reputedly on a salary of over $1million per year. He has had a prolific recording output and is renowned for his Verdi operas, receiving numerous honors and awards during his career including the famous Birgit Nilsson Prize which he was awarded in 2011. In 2015, he founded the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy, which was set up to train and support young musicians, singers. and conductors. He has regularly led the Vienna New Year's Concert and has twice taken the podium as principal conductor at the Whitsun Festival in Salzburg. Riccardo Muti again conducted the Wiener Philharmoniker during the annual New Year’s Concert 2021, which was broadcast to over 90 countries and set for release shortly afterwards. That same year, he released a 91 CD box set - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings – which contained recordings spanning the years made between 1973 and 2007. Riccardo Muti retired from his position as the head of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the end of his contract in 2023. Their final recording together was Contemporary American Composers (2023), which included compositions by Phillip Glass, Jessie Montgomery, and Max Raimi.