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About
Riccardo Muti (born. 28 July 1941, Naples) is an Italian conductor and artistic director of the Teatro alla Scala from 1986 to 2005.
He studied at the Naples Conservatory, where he studied piano with Vincenzo Vitalli, and later at the Milan Conservatory, where he studied composition with Bruno Bettini and conducting with Antonino Voto.
He made his debut as a conductor in 1966, and won the 1968 Guido Canteli Conducting Competition. From 1969, he performed at the May Music Festival in Florence and was its artistic director from 1972 to 1983.
He also performed at the Salzburg Festival in 1976 and staged Aida at the Royal Opera House in London in 1978.
From 1974 to 1984, he served as Chief Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra.In 1980, he made his La Scala debut with The Marriage of Figaro.Since then, he has been the artistic director and conductor of the theater.
Among his well-known productions are Wagner's Flight of the Dutchman (1989), Rossini's Donna del Lago and Parsifal (1991/92) and Gluck's Armida (1995). Among his operatic recordings are "William Tell" (Zancanaro), "Macbeth" (Milnes, Cossa, Raimondo, Carrerra), "Don Pasquale" (Bruscanti, Freni) and "Recognized by Europe" (Salieri)..
In 2003, his production received recognition in Europe thanks to the opening of the La Scala Theater after a three-year renovation of the theater.
In 2006, he left La Scala ,and the theater remained without a director until 2012.
In 2013, Mutti became principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and in 2014, he became "Lifetime Honorary Conductor" of the Rome Opera.
In 2015, he was awarded the Birgit Nielsen Prize for his contribution to the development of opera and concert performances.
Seven times he conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the traditional annual New Year's concert: in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2018, 2021 and 2025.