Evento

Annual Spring Gala honoring Maestro Anton Coppola

Maestro Anton Coppola started his career at the age of eight with the Metropolitan Opera Childrens Chorus. He served as an army bandmaster during World War II, conductor at Radio City Music Hall and director of both the Symphony and Opera Departments at the Manhattan School of Music. Among his works are a violin concerto, a symphony, and Sacco and Vanzetti, an opera in both Italian and English about immigrants Sacco and Vanzetti.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Coppola was the musical director of six Broadway musicals, including Silk Stockings, Bravo Giovanni and The Boy Friend. He conducted two film scores, 1990's The Godfather Part III (also appearing conducting Cavalleria Rusticana in the Teatro Massimo of Palermo) and 1992's Dracula. He debuted with the New York City Opera in 1965, conducting the world premiere of Jack Beeson's Lizzie Borden, and led performances of Carmen, La Traviata, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Madama Butterfly during the same year. At the Seattle Opera in 1970, Coppola led the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men.

Coppola helped to found Opera Tampa in 1996 and served as its Founding Artistic Director. Among his numerous productions with the company was the world premier of Sacco and Vanzetti on March 17, 2001. He retired from the position in 2012. Coppola was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Puccini Foundation and recognized by the Italian government as Cavaliere, Gran Ufficiale.