Roberto Benzi
Roberto Benzi (born 1937) is a French conductor and former child actor.
Early life[edit]
Roberto Benzi was born on 12 December 1937 in Marseille, France.[1] His parents discovered his musicality when he was very young, and taught him solfège and piano. As a teenager he acted in two films.[2] When he was about ten years old he received instruction from André Cluytens.
Career[edit]
In 1960, at age 22, he made his first recordings with the Lamoureux Orchestra of works by Liszt, Beethoven, Bizet, Rossini, Respighi, and many more, for the Philips label, all released in Hi-Fi stereo. He also made recordings with the Hague Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra. At age 27 he conducted La Boutique fantasque (Rossini/Respighi) for the Louis de Funès film The Sucker (1965). Benzi was the conductor of the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine from 1973 to 1987.[2] He was the conductor of the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra in Arnhem, Netherlands, from the 1989/1990 season till 1998.[1][2] He later conducted orchestras in Russia and Japan.[2]
Personal life[edit]
Benzi resides in Paris.[2] He was married to opera singer Jane Rhodes, who died in 2011.[3]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Director | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Prelude to Glory | Georges Lacombe | Roberto |
| 1953 | The Call of Destiny | Georges Lacombe | Roberto Benzi |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Benzi, Roberto (1937–...)" BnF 13891374f
- ^ a b c d e Clairant, François (June 13, 2013). "Roberto Benzi, 25 ans après". Sud Ouest. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ^ Machart, Renaud (May 10, 2011). "Jane Rhodes, cantatrice". Le Monde. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
External links[edit]
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- Living people
- 1937 births
- Musicians from Marseille
- French male conductors (music)
- 20th-century French conductors (music)
- French male child actors
- Knights of the Legion of Honour
- Chevaliers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques
- Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite
- 21st-century French conductors (music)
- 20th-century French male musicians
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- French music biography stubs
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