Arturo Toscanini

ARTURO TOSCANINI d1957. Italian conductor who was one of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and of the 20th century. Renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail, his sonority, and his eidetic memory. He was at various times the music director of La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Later in his career he was appointed the first music director of the NBC Symphony Orchestra (1937–54) and this led to his becoming a household name (especially in the United States) through his radio & television broadcasts and many recordings of the operatic and symphonic repertoire. He died aged 89 in New York City on January 16th 1957.