GBB-F-001079-0000 1915 ca, NEW YORK, USA : The celebrated italian music conductor CLEOFONTE CAMPANINI (Parma, 1860 - Chicago, 1919). Born in Parma, Campanini studied music at that city's conservatory, making his debut with a performance of " Carmen " by Bizet, also in Parma, in 1883. That year he was invited to New York City during the inaugural season of the Metropolitan Opera, and was offered a position as assistant conductor with the company. Five years later he returned to the United States to lead the American premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's Otello at the Academy of Music. Desdemona was sung by Eva Tetrazzini, who Campanini had married in 1887.Campanini conducted at La Scala for three years, where he conducted the premiere of Puccini's Madama Butterfly in 1904. In 1906 he was appointed artistic director of the newly formed Manhattan Opera Company. He stayed there for three years before resigining over artistic disagreements with the company's manager, Oscar Hammerstein I. In 1910 he became the first conductor of the Chicago Opera, remaining there until his death; he brought the company with him in 1918 to New York for a four-week season that included Amelita Galli-Curci's first appearance in the city. Credit: © ARCHIVIO GBB / Archivi Alinari WARNING: Permission must be required for non editorial use. Please contact Alinari Archives Collection: © ARCHIVIO GBB / Archivi Alinari Object type: digital image Photographic technique: P digital image Technical info Image sizes (pixel): 6614 X 4480 Image sizes (cm at 300 dpi): 55 X 37 Image sizes (MB): 6.69 Color space: RGB