Alfredo Antonini (May 31, 1901 – November 3, 1983) was a leading Italian-American symphony conductor and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

radio and television networks from the 1930s through the early 1970s. In 1972 he received an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Achievement in Religious Programming on television for his conducting of the premiere of

Ezra Laderman Ezra Laderman (29 June 1924 – 28 February 2015) was an American composer of classical music. He was born in Brooklyn. Biography Laderman was of Jewish heritage. His parents, Isidor and Leah, both emigrated to the United States from Poland. Thou ...

's opera ''And David Wept'' for CBS television during 1971.''Entertainment Awards''
Don Franks. McFarland and Co., London, 2005 p. 394 ''Emmy Awards 1972 Outstanding Achievement in Religious Programming - Alfredo Antonini'' on http://books.google.com In addition, he was awarded the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking ...

in 1980 ''The Globe and Mail'' - Italian Maestro Dies During Surgery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 5 November 1983, Pg. E
Alfredo Antonini on Proquest.com
/ref>

Biography

Maestro Antonini was born in

Alessandria Alessandria (; pms, Lissandria ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. The city is sited on the alluvial plain between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, about east of Turin. Alessandria ...

and pursued his musical studies at the Royal Conservatory in Milan. He was a student of Italian conductor

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...

. In addition, he distinguished himself as both an organist and pianist with

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

Orchestra in Milan prior to emigrating to the United States in 1929.''The New York Times - Obiturary - Alfredo Antonini - Organist at La Scala Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini'' November 5, 1983 on nytimes.com
/ref> His musical talents were shared by his father who served as a member of the Buenos Aires Opera company at the

Teatro Colon Teatro may refer to: * Theatre * Teatro (band) Teatro, Italian for "theatre", is a vocal group signed to the Sony BMG music label. The members of Teatro are Jeremiah James, Andrew Alexander, Simon Bailey and Stephen Rahman-Hughes. Band members ...

after leaving Italy for Argentina. During the 1940s he distinguished himself as a conductor of several leading orchestras while performing on the

radio network There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and the two-way radio ( duplex communication) type ...

. These included: the CBS Pan American Orchestra (1940–1949), as part of the

cultural diplomacy Cultural diplomacy is a type of public diplomacy and soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding". The purpose ...

initiative of the

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

and the

Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs The Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, later known as the Office for Inter-American Affairs, was a United States agency promoting inter-American cooperation (Pan-Americanism) during the 1940s, especially in commercial and econ ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the Columbia Concert Orchestra (1940–1949) and the

CBS Symphony Orchestra The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was an orchestra formed by Columbia Records strictly for the purpose of making recordings. In the 1950s, it provided a vehicle for some of Columbia's better known conductors and recording artists to record using o ...

. His performances with the CBS Pan American Orchestra were noteworthy for helping to introduce

Latin American music The music of Latin America refers to music originating from Latin America, namely the Romance-speaking regions of the Americas south of the United States. Latin American music also incorporates African music from enslaved African people who were ...

and the Mexican

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

to large audiences in the United States. Carnegie-hall-isaac-stern

He also conducted live radio broadcasts of the program ''

Viva America Viva may refer to: Companies and organisations * Viva (network operator), a Dominican mobile network operator * Viva Air, a Spanish airline taken over by flag carrier Iberia * Viva Air Dominicana * VIVA Bahrain, a telecommunication company * V ...

on the

radio network and La Cadena de las Americas (Network of the Americas) in collaboration with such noted artists as

Nestor Mesta Chayres Néstor Mesta Cháyres (aka Nestor Chaires, Ciudad Lerdo, February 26, 1908 - Mexico City, June 29, 1971) was an acclaimed tenor in Mexico and a noted interpreter of Spanish songs, boleros and Mexican romantic music on the international concert ...

(Mexican tenor aka "El Gitano De Mexico

Terig Tucci Terig Tucci (June 23, 1897 – February 28, 1973) was an Argentine composer, violinist, pianist, and mandolinist. Tucci was born in Buenos Aires, in 1897. His first composition, “Cariños de madre” was performed for a zarzuela at the ...

(Argentine composer/arranger),

Juan Arvizu Juan Nepomuceno Arvizu Santelices (known as Juan Arvizu; Santiago de Querétaro, May 22, 1900 - Mexico City, November 19, 1985), was an acclaimed lyric tenor in Mexico and a noted interpreter of the Latin American bolero and tango on the internati ...

(Mexican tenor),

Elsa Miranda Elsa M. Miranda (14 February 1922 – 27 April 2007) was a noted Puerto Rican singer who was featured on radio and television in the United States during the Golden Age of Radio in the 1940s. As a naturalized Argentinian, she was also active as ...

(Puerto Rican vocalist/actress),

Eva Garza Eva Garza (May 11, 1917 – November 1, 1966) was a Mexican-American singer and film actress who acquired international recognition in the 1940s and 1950s during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She collaborated on live radio shows and films wit ...

(Mexican American vocalist/actress) and

John Serry, Sr. John Serry Sr. (born John Serrapica; January 29, 1915 – September 14, 2003) was an American concert accordionist, arranger, composer, organist, and educator. He performed on the CBS Radio and Television networks and contributed to Voic ...

(Italian-American concert accordionist). He also appeared with

(tenor) and the New York Philharmonic in the ''Night of the Americas Concert'' series at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

., which, according to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', was eagerly anticipated by the general public. Additional performances in collaboration with

(''"El Troubador de las Americas"'') and the CBS Tipica Orchestra for the ''Inter-America Music Fiesta'' at

attracted widespread acclaim. In 1946, Antonini recorded several popular Latin American songs with Serry on the album ''Latin American Music - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra'' for Alpha Records (catalogue #'s 12205A, 12205B, 12206A, 12206B) including: ''Tres Palabras'' ( Osvaldo Farres), ''Caminito de Tu Casa'' (

Julio Alberto Hernández Julio Alberto Hernández (September 27, 1900 – April 2, 1999) was a Dominican composer. He specialized in folk-music based compositions. Biography He was born in Santiago de los Caballeros and is the nephew of P.T. Camejo. In addition to st ...

), ''Chapinita'' (

Miguel Sandoval Miguel Sandoval (born November 16, 1951) is an American actor of film and television. Biography Sandoval was born in Washington, D.C. He began working as a professional actor in 1975 when he joined a mime school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. H ...

) and ''Noche De Ronda'' (

Augustin Lara Augustin may refer to: * Augustin (name), male name, variant of Augustine * Augustin (typography), English or 14-point type * Augustin, Brașov, a commune in Brașov County, Romania * Dacian fortress of Augustin, ruined Dacian fortified town ...

).Billboard. ''Advanced Record Releases - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra'', New York, Vol. 58 No. 14, 6 April 1946, P. 34 & P. 13
''Latin American Music''
- Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra in Billboard on http://books.google.com Critical review of the albums in ''The New Records'' praised his conducting talents and hailed the collection as among the best new albums of Latin American music. Later in the 1940s, Antonini collaborated with the vocalist Victoria Cordova and John Serry Sr. in a series of recordings for

Muzak Muzak is an American brand of background music played in retail stores and other public establishments. The name has been in use since 1934, and has been owned by a division or subsidiary of one or another company ever since. In 1981, Westingho ...

, featuring compositions familiar to audiences in both North and South America. Included among these were: ''

What a Difference a Day Made "What a Diff'rence a Day Made", also recorded as "What a Difference a Day Makes", is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Grever, a Mexican songwriter, in 1934 with the title "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" ("When I Return to Your ...

'' -

Maria Grever Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

, ''

You Belong to My Heart "You Belong to My Heart" is the name of an English-language version of the Mexican Bolero song "Solamente una vez" (''Only Once'', in English). This song was composed by Mexican songwriter Agustín Lara and originally performed by singer Ana Marí ...

'' - Agustin Lara, '' Siboney'' -

Ernesto Lecuona Ernesto Lecuona y Casado (; August 7, 1896 – November 29, 1963) was a Cuban composer and pianist, many of whose works have become standards of the Latin, jazz and classical repertoires. His over 600 compositions include songs and zarzuelas as ...

, '' Amor'' - Gabriel Ruiz, ''Edelma Passilo'' -

, '' Say It Isn't So'' -

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...

, ''

How Deep is the Ocean How may refer to: * How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech * How, an interrogative word in English grammar Art and entertainment Literature * ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seidma ...

'' -

and '' A Perfect Day'' - Carrie Jacobs-Bond He also collaborated with the Latin group Los Panchos Trio in a recording of the Chilean cueca dance ''La Palma'' for Pilotone records (#P45-5067). In addition, he recorded several songs for Columbia records with operatic baritone Carlo Morelli which included ''La Spagnola'' (#17192-D), ''Alma Mia'' (#17192-D) ''Canta Il Mare'' (#17263-D), ''Si Alguna Vez'' (#17263-D). Additional collaborators included: the Italian operatic tenor

Nino Martini Nino Martini (7 August 1902 — 9 December 1976) was an Italian operatic tenor and actor. He began his career as an opera singer in Italy before moving to the United States to pursue an acting career in films. He appeared in several Hollyw ...

for a recording of the song '' Amapola'' (Columbia, #17202-D) and the Mexican tenor Nestor Chayres for a recording of ''

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

'' (Decca, #23770 A) It was during the 1950s that Maestro Antonino was Professor of Music at St. John's University, then in Brooklyn, NY. He taught the Music Appreciation course. t.John's College Yearbook,1954As a musical director at the College of Arts and Science,

Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

during the 1950s, Antonini was instrumental in presenting a program of classical and operatic music to the general public. His collaboration with

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...

and

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...

in a production of ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

'' for CBS television was telecast live in color on March 31, 1957 to an audience of 107 million people. During this decade he also appeared in concert with such operatic divas as

Eileen Farrell Eileen Farrell (February 13, 1920 – March 23, 2002) was an American soprano who had a nearly 60-year-long career performing both classical and popular music in concerts, theatres, on radio and television, and on disc. NPR noted, "She possessed ...

(soprano) and

Beverly Sills Beverly Sills (May 25, 1929July 2, 2007) was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. Although she sang a repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Puccini, Massenet and Verdi, she was especially renowned for ...

(soprano).''The New York Times'', July 9, 1956, pg. 26 Later in 1957, Antonini became the musical director and conductor of the Tampa Philharmonic in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

.''The New York Times - Obiturary - Alfredo Antonini'' November 5, 1983 on nytimes.com
/ref> Ccny

Antonini also served as a conductor of the open-air summer concerts held at the landmark

Lewisohn Stadium Lewisohn Stadium was an amphitheater and athletic facility built on the campus of the City College of New York (CCNY). It opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1973. History The Doric-colonnaded amphitheater was built between Amsterdam and Conven ...

in New York City during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He appeared at least once during each season while featuring leading talent from the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

. His appearances with the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

Symphony Orchestra and the Lewisohn Stadium Orchestra during the series of ''Italian Night'' concerts frequently attracted audiences which exceeded 13,000 guests. These performances featured arias from the standard Italian operatic repertoire and showcased such operatic luminaries as:

Jan Peerce Jan Peerce (born Yehoshua Pinkhes Perelmuth; June 3, 1904 December 15, 1984) was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway theatre, Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recordi ...

Richard Tucker Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticker ...

Licia Albanese Licia Albanese (July 22, 1909 – August 15, 2014) was an Italian-born American operatic soprano. Noted especially for her portrayals of the lyric heroines of Verdi and Puccini, Albanese was a leading artist with the Metropolitan Opera from 1940 ...

Eva Likova Eva Likova (21 December 1919 – 15 March 2004) was an American operatic soprano of Czech descent. She was notably one of the major sopranos at the New York City Opera during the company's early years. She also made guest appearances with a numbe ...

Robert Weede Robert Weede (February 22, 1903 – July 9, 1972) was an American operatic baritone. Life and career Born Robert Wiedefeld in Baltimore, Maryland, Weede studied voice at the Eastman School of Music and in Milan. He made his Metropolitan Op ...

Cloe Elmo Cloe (or Cloë) Elmo (April 9, 1910 – May 24, 1962) was an Italian operatic dramatic mezzo-soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory. She was born in Lecce and began singing at an early age. By the age of seventeen, she had ...

and

Robert Merrill Robert Merrill (June 4, 1917 – October 23, 2004) was an American operatic baritone and actor, who was also active in the musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting an ...

During the late 1950s and early '60s, Antonini conducted the CBS Orchestra on "American Musical Theater." This was a TV show produced by the New York City Board of Education as a public service before the advent of the Public Television Network. It chronicled the evolution of musical theater in America in front of a small audience of high school students. Guests included

John Bubbles John William Sublett (February 19, 1902 – May 18, 1986), known by his stage name John W. Bubbles, was an American tap dancer, vaudevillian, movie actor, and television performer. He performed in the duo "Buck and Bubbles", who were the fi ...

and many others. During this time Antonini also collaborated as a guest conductor with instrumental soloists, including

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

in 1960 for a performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto at Lewisohn Stadium. In addition, he conducted the

Symphony of the Air The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra conceived by David Sarnoff, the president of the Radio Corporation of America, especially for the conductor Arturo Toscanini. The NBC Symphony performed weekly radio concert broadcasts with Tosc ...

in the live prime-time television special ''Spring Festival of Music'' for CBS Television. This collaboration with the pianist

John Browning John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms many of which are still in use around the world. He m ...

and the producer

Robert Herridge Robert Herridge (January 12, 1914 - August 14, 1981),
''

showcased a virtuoso performance of a movement from Sergie Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto.''Television and the Performing Arts''
Brian G. Rose. Greenwood Press, New York 1986 p. 104 Alfredo Antonini, Symphony of the Air, Robert Herridge and John Browning collaborating on http://books.google The performance was noted for its musical excellence as well as its dramatic visual presentation on television. In 1962, Antonini collaborated with

First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

, director

Franklin J. Schaffner Franklin James Schaffner (May 30, 1920July 2, 1989) was an American film, television, and stage director. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for ''Patton'' (1970), and is known for the films ''Planet of the Apes'' (1968), ''Nicholas and Al ...

, and journalist Charles Collingwood of

CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...

for the groundbreaking television documentary ''

A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy ''A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy'' was a television special featuring the first lady of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy, on a tour of the recently renovated White House. It was broadcast on Valentine's Day, February 14 ...

''. The documentary television program was watched by more than 80 million viewers throughout the world and received wide critical acclaim.''The Paley Center for Media - Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy - Music Director Alfredo Antonini'' on paleycenter.org
/ref>''The Cambridge Companion to John F. Kennedy''
Editor: Andrew Hoberick. Cambridge University Press, New York. 2015 p. 54 "A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy" on http://books.google.com In 1964, Antonini appeared as conductor of the CBS Symphony Orchestra in an acclaimed adaptation of

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

's sacred oratorio ''

L'enfance du Christ ''L'enfance du Christ'' (''The Childhood of Christ''), Opus 25, is an oratorio by the French composer Hector Berlioz, based on the Holy Family's flight into Egypt (see Gospel of Matthew 2:13). Berlioz wrote his own words for the piece. Most of it ...

'' for CBS Television. His operatic soloists included:

Sherrill Milnes Sherrill Milnes (born January 10, 1935) is an American dramatic baritone most famous for his Verdi roles. From 1965 until 1997 he was associated with the Metropolitan Opera. His voice is a high dramatic baritone, combining good legato with an inc ...

Giorgio Tozzi Giorgio Tozzi (January 8, 1923 – May 30, 2011) was an American operatic bass. He was a mainstay for many years with the Metropolitan Opera, and sang principal bass roles in nearly every major opera house worldwide. Career Tozzi was born Georg ...

, Ara Berberian and Charles Anthony as supported by the choral voices of the Camerata Singers.''The New York Public Library - L'enfance du Christ'' Videorecording credits include Alfredo Antonini, Sheril Milnes, Ara Berberian, Charles Anthony, Georgio Tozzi on nypl.org
/ref> At this time he also collaborated as conductor for a televised episode of '' The CBS Repertoire Workshop - "Feliz Borinquen"'', which showcased the talents of such leading Puerto Rican performers as:

Martina Arroyo Martina Arroyo (born February 2, 1937) is an American operatic soprano who had a major international opera career from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success. Arroyo first ...

and

Raul Davila Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...

Avery Fisher Hall with Henry Moore scupture

In addition to performing as a conductor on WOR radio in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

during the 1940s, he appeared as a guest conductor for leading symphonic orchestras in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, IL,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, WI,

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

during the 1950s. During this time he also founded the Tampa Philharmonic Orchestra in Tampa, Florida, which eventually merged into the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony. In the 1960s Maestro Antonini also appeared as a guest conductor with the

at Philharmonic Hall during a grand opera benefit concert which featured the artistry of

and

.''The New York Times'', December 6, 1964, pg. 114 Throughout the 1960s he continued to collaborate with such operatic luminaries as

(tenor),

(baritone)and

Franco Corelli Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 – 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was cel ...

(tenor),

Nicolai Gedda Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, known professionally as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017), was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made h ...

Gabriella Tucci Gabriella Tucci (4 August 19299 July 2020) was an Italian operatic soprano who was particularly associated with the Italian repertory and performed at notable opera houses worldwide. She appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in 11 Verdi roles acros ...

and

Dorothy Kirsten Dorothy Kirsten (July 6, 1910, Montclair, New Jersey – November 18, 1992, Los Angeles, California) was an American operatic soprano. Biography Kirsten's mother was an organist and music teacher, her grandfather was a conductor, and her great-a ...

in a variety of gala concerts. He also performed with

Roberta Peters Roberta Peters (May 4, 1930 – January 18, 2017) was an American coloratura soprano. One of the most prominent American singers to achieve lasting fame and success in opera, Peters is noted for her 35-year association with the Metropolitan Oper ...

at the

at City College for an audience of thousands. In 1971, Antonini excelled once again as Musical Director on the

CBS Television CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

premier of

's opera ''And David Wept'', earning an

for Outstanding Achievement in Religious Programming (1972). He collaborated in this premier production with such operatic luminaries as

Rosalind Elias Rosalind Elias (March 13, 1930 – May 3, 2020) was an American mezzo-soprano who enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the Metropolitan Opera. She was best known for creating the role of Erika in Samuel Barber's '' Vanessa in'' 1958. Early ...

and Ara Berberian. Several years later in 1975 he joined forces once again with Berberian and the mezzo-soprano

Elaine Bonazzi Elaine Bonazzi (August 28, 1929 – January 29, 2019) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active international career from the 1950s through the 1990s. A singer with an unusually broad repertoire that encompassed both classical and c ...

for the CBS Television movie, ''A Handful of Souls.'' Antonini's collaborations at CBS Television extended beyond the realm of opera to include prominent figures from several professions including: Philanthropy - (

John D. Rockefeller III John Davison Rockefeller III (March 21, 1906 – July 10, 1978) was an American philanthropist. Rockefeller was the eldest son and second child of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller as well as a grandson of Standard Oil co-found ...

), Government - (

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...

) Journalism - ( Charles Collingwood,))

Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...

, Daniel Shorr) Art - (

Henry Moore Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist. He is best known for his semi- abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Moore produced ...

Kenneth Clark Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director, and broadcaster. After running two important art galleries in the 1930s and 1940s, he came to wider public notice on television ...

) Dance - (

Mary Hinkson Mary De Haven Hinkson (March 16, 1925 – November 26, 2014) was an African American dancer and choreographer known for breaking racial boundaries throughout her dance career in both modern and ballet techniques. She is best known for her work ...

) Drama -( John Alexander,

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary ''Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is often ...

,''The Complete Films of Ingrid Bergman''
Lawrence J. Quirk. Citadel Press Carol Publishing Group, New York 1991 p. 230 "24 Hours in a Woman's Life" Credits: Ingrid Bergman and Alfredo Antonini on http://books.google.com

Betty Comden Betty Comden (May 3, 1917 - November 23, 2006) was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter who contributed to numerous Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century. Her writing partnership with Adolph Green spanned s ...

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and rai ...

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

Steven Hill Stephen or Steven is a common English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Ac ...

Ron Holgate Ronald Holgate (born May 26, 1937, Aberdeen, South Dakota) is an American actor and opera singer. He won the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor as Richard Henry Lee in the original Broadway production of ''1776'', a role he reprised in 1972 for ...

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Richard Kiley Richard Paul Kiley (March 31, 1922 – March 5, 1999) was an American stage, film and television actor and singer. He is best known for his distinguished theatrical career in which he twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor In A Musical. Kiley ...

Howard Lindsay Howard Lindsay, born Herman Nelke, (March 29, 1889 – February 11, 1968) was an American playwright, librettist, director, actor and theatrical producer. He is best known for his writing work as part of the collaboration of Lindsay and Crouse ...

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) and the Concert Stage - ( Charles Anthony,

). Maestro Antonini's musical legacy has been preserved on a variety of LP recordings which reflect his interest in symphonic compositions, popular music from Latin-America and grand opera. He has recorded for Coral Records,

Columbia Masterworks Columbia Masterworks was a record label started in 1924 by Columbia Records. In 1980, it was separated from the Columbia label and renamed CBS Masterworks. In 1990, it was revived as Sony Classical after its sale to the Sony Corporation. History ...

and

SESAC SESAC is a for-profit performance-rights organization in the United States. Founded in 1930 as the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, it is the second-oldest performance-rights organization in the United States.

Records.

Death

Alfredo Antonini died at the age of 82 during heart surgery in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983. He was buried in Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park cemetery in Clearwater and was survived by his wife Sandra and a son.

Compositions

* ''The Great City'' * ''

Sarabande The sarabande (from es, zarabanda) is a dance in triple metre, or the music written for such a dance. History The Sarabande evolved from a Spanish dance with Arab influences, danced by a lively double line of couples with castanets. A dance cal ...

'' * ''Sicilian Rhapsody'' * ''Suite for Cello and Orchestra'' * ''Preludes for Organ'' * ''Suite for Strings'' * ''The United States of America, Circa 1790'' * ''Mambo Tropical''

Discography

* ''

'', vocalist

, Columbia Masterworks (OL5190), 12 Inch LP, 1957? * ''American Fantasy'', SESAC Records, 33 RPM LP, 195? * ''Atmosphere By Antonini - Alfredo Antonini and His Orchestra'', Coral Records (LVA 9031), 33PRM LP, 1956 * ''Romantic Classics'', SESAC Records, 33 RPM LP, 195? * ''Aaron Copland/Hugo Weisgall/Alfredo Antonini - Twelve Poems of Emily Dickenson'', Columbia Masterworks (ML 5106), 33 RPM LP, 1956 * ''Songs from Sunny Italy - Richard Tucker with Alfredo Antonini Conducting the Columbia Concert Orchestra'', Columbia Masterworks (ML 2155), 33 RPM LP, 1950 * ''Alfredo Antonini and His Orchestra - Dances of Latin America'', London Records (LPB.294), 33 RPM LP, 1950 * ''Alfredo Antonini & The Columbia Concert Orchestra'', soloist Richard Tucker, Columbia Masterworks (A-1540), 45 RPM, 195? * ''Nestor Chayres Singing Romantic Songs of Latin America'', Alfredo Antonini conductor, Decca, 78 RPM, 1947 * ''Juan Arvizu, Troubador of the Americas'', Alfredo Antonini conductor, Columbia Records (#36663), 1941 78 RPM, 1941 * ''Latin American Music - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra'', Alfredo Antonini conductor of the Viva America Orchestra, Elsa Miranda vocalist, Alpha Records (#12205) 78 RPM, 1946 * ''Richard Tucker: Just For You with Alfredo Antonini and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra'', Columbia Masterworks (A-1619-1), 45 RPM,195? * ''Amapola'' (Joseph Lacalle), vocalist

, Columbia (#17202-D) 78 RPM, 194? * ''Bolero - No Me Lo Digas'' (Maria Grever), vocalist Nino Martini, Columbia (#17202-D), 194? * ''Nestor Chayres & Alfredo Antonini'', Decca (#23770), 78 RPM * ''Granada'' (Agustin Lara), vocalist Nestor Chayres, Decca (#23770), 78 RPM (1946) * ''Noche de Ronda'' (Maria Teressa Lara), vocalist Nestor Chayres, Decca (#23770), 78 RPM (1946) * ''La Palma'', Los Panchos Trio, Pilotone (#P45 5067), 78 RPM (194?) * ''Rosa Negra'', Alfredo Antonini Viva America Orchestra, Pilotone (#P45 5069), 78 RPM (194?) * ''Alfredo Antonini and The

Orchestra - Chiqui, Chiqui, Cha/Caminito De Tu Casa'', Bosworth Music (BA.251), 78 RPM, (194?) * ''Music of the Americas'', Pilotone Album, 78 RPM LP, 194? * ''La Spagnola'' (V. Di Chiara), vocalist Carlo Morelli, Columbia (#17192D) 78 RPM (194?) * ''Alma Mia'' (Maria Grever), vocalist Carlo Morelli, Columbia (#17192D) 78 RPM (194?) * ''Viva Sevilla!'' and ''Noche de Amor'' vocalist Juan Arvizu, Columbia (#36664) 78 RPM (194?) * ''Mi Sarape'' and ''Que Paso?'' vocalist Juan Arvizu, Columbia (#36665) 78 RPM (194?) * ''El Bigot de Tomas'' and ''De Donde?'' vocalist Juan Arvizu, Columbia (#36666) 78 RPM (194?) * ''Canta Il Marie'' (Mazzola) and ''Si Alguna Vez'' (Ponce) vocalist Carlo Morelli Columbia (#17263-D) 78 RPM * ''Esta Noche Ha Pasado'' (Sabre Marrequin) vocalist Luis G. Roldan, Columbia (#6201-x) 78 RPM (194?) * ''Tres Palabras'' (Osvaldo Farres) vocalist Luis G. Roldan, Columbia (#6201-x) 78 RPM (194?)

Filmography

*''A Handful of Souls'' - (TV Movie, Conductor, 1975) *''And David Wept'' - (TV Movie, Music Director, 1971) *''Gauguin in Tahiti: The Search for Paradise'' - (TV Documentary, Conductor, 1967) *''The Emperor's New Clothes'' - (TV Movie, Conductor, 1967) *''Nehru: Man of Two Worlds'' - (CBS-TV, Conductor, 1966) *''

Where the Spies Are ''Where the Spies Are'' is a 1966 British comedy adventure film directed by Val Guest and starring David Niven, Françoise Dorléac, John Le Mesurier, Cyril Cusack and Richard Marner. It was based on the 1964 James Leasor book '' Passport to Obl ...

'' - (Film, Conductor, 1966) *''

CBS Reports ''CBS Reports'' is the umbrella title used for documentaries by CBS News which aired starting in 1959 through the 1990s. The series sometimes aired as a wheel series rotating with '' 60 Minutes'' (or other similar CBS News series), as a series of i ...

'' - (TV Documentary, Conductor, 1965) *''The Nisei: The Pride and the Shame'' (CBS NEWS Documentary, Conductor, 1965) *''Jack and the Beanstalk'' - (TV Movie, Conductor, 1965) *''Pinocchio''- (TV Movie, Conductor, 1965) *''L'enfance du Christ'' - (TV Movie, Conductor, 1964)} *''CBS Repertoire Workshop'' - (TV Series, Conductor, 1964) *''The Twentieth Century'' - (TV Documentary, Musical Director, 1964) *''Arias and Arabesques'' - (TV Movie, Conductor, 1962) *''Cabeza de Vaca'' - (TV Movie, Conductor, 1962) *'' A Tour of the White House'' - (TV Documentary, Musical Director, 1962) *''An Act of Faith'' - (TV Movie, Musical Director, 1961) *''Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life'' - (TV Movie, Conductor, 1961) *''And On Earth, Peace'' - (TV Movie, Composer, 1961) *''Spring Festival of Music: American Soloists'' - (TV Movie, Self, 1960) *''The Right Man'' - (TV Movie, Conductor, 1960) *''The Fabulous Fifties'' - (TV Documentary, Musical Director, 1960) *''The Movies Learn to Talk'' - (CBS NEWS documentary, Conductor, 1960) *''The American Musical theater'' (CBS-TV, Conductor,1959) *''The Incredible Turk''- (TV Documentary, Conductor, 1958) *''

The Seven Lively Arts ''The Seven Lively Arts'' is an American anthology series that aired on Sunday afternoons in 1957 on CBS television. The series was executive produced by John Houseman, and hosted by '' New York Herald Tribune'' critic John Crosby. Alfredo Anto ...

'' - (TV Series, Musical Director, 1957) *''

Air Power Airpower or air power consists of the application of military aviation, military strategy and strategic theory to the realm of aerial warfare and close air support. Airpower began in the advent of powered flight early in the 20th century. Airpo ...

'' - (TV Documentary, Musical Director, 1956-1957) *''

'' - (TV Special, Music Director, 1957) *''Studio One: Circle of Guilt'' - (CBS-TV, Conductor, 1956) *''Studio One: Dino'' - (CBS-TV, Music Director, 1956) *''Studio One: Star-Spangled Soldier'' - (CBS-TV, Music, 1956) *''

Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Sept ...

'' - (TV Series, Music Director, 1954) *''Studio One: Dark Possession'' - (CBS-TV, Musical consultant, 1954) *''Studio One: Let me Go, Lover'' - (CBS-TV, Music Director, 1954) *''Studio One: Dry Run'' - (CBS-TV, Music, 1953) *''

The Jane Froman Show ''The Jane Froman Show'' was an American musical variety television series starring singer and actress Jane Froman that aired on CBS from 1952–1955. The title ''USA Canteen'' was used from the show's premiere on October 18, 1952, until De ...

'' - (TV Series, Conductor, 1952) *''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' - (TV Movie, Composer, 1920)

Awards

* Primetime

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

Award for Outstanding Achievement in Religious Programming (1972) * Award for Distinguished Service to Music from the National Association for American Composers and Conductors * Title of

Commendatore Commendatore (singular), Commendatori (plural), is an Italian word originating from the latin phrase In commendam and meaning "Commander". It may refer to: Position, rank, title * Commander (order) ( it, Commendatore), the title of honour "Comma ...

awarded by the President of Italy (1977)Alfredo Antonini on Presidenza della Repubblica www.quirinale.it
/ref> *

(1980)

Archived works

* Selected scores of compositions by Alfredo Antonini broadcast on the CBS television network are archived within the CBS Collection of Manuscript Scores 1890-1972 at the

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

at Lincoln Center in New York City, New York. * Selected sound recordings featuring Alfredo Antonini conducting the

for

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

are archived at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in New York City, New York.Voice of America Collection of Broadcast Recordings: CBS Symphony Alfredo Antonini on nypl.org
/ref>

Professional affiliations

* American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

(1948)

References

External links

Alfredo Antonini conducts The Lewisohn Stadium Symphony -''Lucia Albanese and Richard Tucker in All-Puccini Program'' -WNYC Archive Collections on wqxr.orgAlfredo Antonini in performance conducting the CBS Pan American Orchestra, the Viva America Orchestra, the CBS Tipica Orchestra and the Alfredo Antonini Orchestra, vocals by Juan Arvizu, Nestor Chayres, Nino Martini, Carlo Morelli and Los Panchos Trio on archive.orgAlfredo Antonini conducts ''Granada'' (Agustín Lara) - Archived recording of Alfredo Antonini conducting his Orchestra with Tenor Nestor Chayres (1946) on Archive.orgAlfredo Antonini recordings archived in The Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican American Recordings at the University of California Los Angeles on frontera.library.ucla.eduAlfredo Antonini at The Juilliard School of Music Libraries''Cinderella: Original Television Broadcast Soundtrack'' CD, as cataloged at Katalog Deutsche National Bibliothek - www.dnb.de//EN/Home/home_node

Alfredo Antonini's sound recordings as cataloged on the Library of Congress Online Catalog

Sound recordings of Alfredo Antonini and the CBS Symphony Orchestra at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Alfredo Antonini's Stadium Concerts from Lewisohn Stadium broadcast on the radio and cataloged at wnyc.org
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Antonini, Alfredo 1901 births 1983 deaths American male composers American male conductors (music) Emmy Award winners Italian composers Italian male composers Italian conductors (music) Italian male conductors (music) 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American composers 20th-century Italian musicians 20th-century American male musicians Italian emigrants to the United States