Ottorino Respighi

Ottorino Respighi was born on July 9, 1879 in Bologna, Italy. He was taught piano and violin by his father who was a local piano teacher. Continuing his studies, he went on to study violin, viola, and composition. In 1900, he composed his first major work, influenced by the German tradition – Symphonic Variations, written for his final school examinations at the Liceo Musicale. Back in Bologna, Respighi took his diploma in composition in 1901, and in the following years consolidated his reputation with a variety of works – Nebbie, Re Enzo (his first opera), the Prelude, Chorale and Fugue for orchestra, and the Suite in G Major for Strings and Organ (a homage to Bach, a composer he admired.) Until 1908 his principal activity was as first violin in the Mugellini Quintet. In 1908-09 he spent some time performing in Germany before returning to Italy and turning his attention entirely to composition. His compositions began to draw attention, and in 1913 he was appointed as teacher of composition at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where he lived for the rest of his life. In 1917 his international fame began to spread through multiple performances of the first of his Roman orchestral tone poems. His established international fame allowed him some level of freedom but at the same time encouraged the regime to exploit his music for political purposes. Respighi was best known for his orchestral “Roman trilogy”: Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and Roman Festivals. His musicological interest in 16th-, 17th-, and 18th-century music led to composing pieces based on the music of these periods. He also wrote operas, La Fiamma being the most known. In 1932 he was elected to the Royal Academy of Italy, he died in 1936.

Most of the information came from: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ottorino-respighi-mn0001529117