Riziero Ortolani
1936 - 2014
Italian
Biography
In recent years the ever innovative composer wrote a symphony (2001's Sinfonia della Memoria - Symphony of Memory), a ballet (In Una Parte di Cielo) based on the life of Michelangelo, and in 2007 the Musical Il Principe della Gioventù/La Conguira, inspired by the Pazzi conspiracy, the plot by the Pazzi family to overthrow the Medici family as rulers of Renaissance Florence. Having conducted many famous symphony orchestras, he also had a successful tour of Japan with the Vienna Symphony. Ortolani received numerous awards and citations during his life and in 1995 was made a Commendatore of the Italian Republic by President Scalfaro, one of the highest honours that country bestows. In 2006 He received a BMI USA Special Citation of achievement over seven million broadcast performances of “More” and over fifteen hundred different versions recorded by major artists and orchestras, with over 70 million copies sold, and in 2013 was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Soundtrack Academy.