page_title: Alfredo Antonini
section_title: Biography
hierarchical_section_title: Alfredo Antonini / Biography
caption_attribution_description: English: A post-concert photo of the main hall's stage inside of Carnegie Hall.
context_page_description: Alfredo Antonini was a leading Italian-American symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS radio and television networks from the 1930s through the early 1970s. In 1972 he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Religious Programming on television for his conducting of the premiere of Ezra Laderman's opera And David Wept for CBS television during 1971. In addition, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1980
context_section_description: Maestro Antonini was born in Milan, Italy and pursued his musical studies at the Royal Conservatory in Milan. He was a student of Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini.  In addition, he distinguished himself as both an organist and pianist with La Scala Orchestra in Milan prior to emigrating to the United States in 1929.
  During the 1940s he distinguished himself as a conductor of several leading orchestras while performing on the CBS radio network. These included: the CBS Pan American Orchestra (1940–1949), as part of the cultural diplomacy initiative of the Department of State and the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs during World War II, the Columbia Concert Orchestra (1940–1949) and the CBS Symphony Orchestra. His performances with the CBS Pan American Orchestra were noteworthy for helping to introduce Latin American music and the Mexican bolero to large audiences in the United States.
  He also conducted live radio broadcasts of the program Viva America on the CBS radio network and La Cadena de las Americas (Network of the Americas) in collaboration with such noted artists as Nestor Mesta Chayres (Mexican tenor aka "El Gitano De Mexico") Terig Tucci (Argentine composer/arranger), Juan Arvizu (Mexican tenor), Elsa Miranda (Puerto Rican vocalist/actress), Eva Garza (Mexican American vocalist/actress) and John Serry, Sr. (Italian-American concert accordionist). He also appeared with Nestor Mesta Chayres (tenor) and the New York Philharmonic in the Night of the Americas Concert series at Carnegie Hall., which, according to The New York Times, was eagerly anticipated by the general public. Additional performances in collaboration with Juan Arvizu ("El Troubador de las Americas") and the CBS Tipica Orchestra for the Inter-America Music Fiesta at Carnegie Hall 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), Chapinita (Miguel Sandoval) and Noche De Ronda (Augustin Lara). 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, featuring compositions familiar to audiences in both North and South America. Included among these were: What a Difference a Day Made - Maria Grever, You Belong to My Heart - Agustin Lara, Siboney - Ernesto Lecuona, Amor - Gabriel Ruiz, Edelma Passilo - Terig Tucci, Say It Isn't So - Irving Berlin, How Deep is the Ocean - Irving Berlin 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 for a recording of the song Amapola (Columbia, #17202-D) and the Mexican tenor Nestor Chayres for a recording of Granada (Decca, #23770 A)
  As a musical director at CBS Television during the 1950s, Antonini was instrumental in presenting a program of classical and operatic music to the general public. His collaboration with Julie Andrews, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II in a production of Cinderella for CBS television was telecast live in 1957 to an audience of 107 million people.  During this decade he also appeared in concert with such operatic divas as Eileen Farrell (soprano) and Beverly Sills
  (soprano). 
  Later in 1957, Antonini became the musical director and conductor of the Tampa Philharmonic in Florida.
  Antonini also served as a conductor of the open-air summer concert
caption: Carnegie Hall, New York City, Carnegie-hall-isaac-stern
exif: {}