Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

Italy

Birth

:

December 3, 1911 in Milan, Italy

Death

:

April 10, 1979 in Rome, Italy

Genre

:

Ballet

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Film

 

 

Opera

 

Nino Rota was an Italian composer and academic who was born on December 3, 1911, in Milan, Italy. He was the son of a musician, Giovanni Rota, who was a conductor and composer. Nino Rota showed an early interest in music and began studying piano and composition at the age of eight. He was a child prodigy and composed his first opera, L'infanzia di San Giovanni Battista, at the age of eleven. Rota continued his musical studies at the Conservatorio di Milano, where he studied under Ildebrando Pizzetti and Gian Francesco Malipiero. He graduated in 1930 with a degree in composition. After graduation, Rota began working as a composer and arranger for the Italian film industry. He composed music for over 150 films, including Federico Fellini's La Strada, La Dolce Vita, and 8½. Rota's music for Fellini's films is some of his most famous work. His score for La Strada, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1956, is particularly notable for its use of the accordion. Rota's music for La Dolce Vita and 8½ is also highly regarded and has become synonymous with Fellini's films. In addition to his work in film, Rota was also a prolific composer of classical music. He composed operas, ballets, concertos, and chamber music. His most famous classical work is probably his Concerto for Strings, which was premiered in 1964 by the Orchestra della RAI in Rome. The concerto is notable for its use of folk melodies and its lively, energetic rhythms. Rota was also a respected academic and taught composition at the Liceo Musicale in Bari and the Conservatorio di Bologna. He was a member of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna. In 1979, he was awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French government for his contributions to music. Rota died on April 10, 1979, in Rome, Italy, at the age of 67. He left behind a legacy of music that continues to be celebrated and performed today. His music for Fellini's films, in particular, has become iconic and is instantly recognizable to audiences around the world.

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