Conductor. A prolific maestro of 19th century Italian Opera, he shall be best remembered for interpreting the works of Gioachino Rossini. Raised in Milan, he was inspired by 1951 meetings with Igor Stravinsky and studied conducting with Antonino Votto and Carlo Maria Giuliani prior to his 1956 professional bow with a performance of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville." Zedda won the 1957 RAI International Conductors Competition, thereby starting a wide-ranging international career of more than half-a-century. He was to have a long association with La Scala Milano while leading acclaimed performances at the Paris Opera, the Berlin State Opera, Covent Garden, Naples' Teatro San Carlo, the New York City Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and elsewhere. In 1969 he published the first critical edition, a 'corrected' score based upon the best modern scholarship available, of "The Barber of Seville," then over the years worked on critical editions of much of the Rossini canon. Though best known as a Rossini specialist, he also led the works of Bach, Handel, Verdi, Bellini, and others of the same era. Long the director of Pesaro's Rossini Foundation, Zedda remained active into advanced years both on the podium and as a Master Class presenter; he lived out his days in Rossini's hometown and died of the effects of advanced age leaving complete recordings of several Rossini pieces, among them "Tancredi," L'Italiana en Algeri," and "La Cenerentola," as well as of Bellini's "Beatrice di Tenda."
Conductor. A prolific maestro of 19th century Italian Opera, he shall be best remembered for interpreting the works of Gioachino Rossini. Raised in Milan, he was inspired by 1951 meetings with Igor Stravinsky and studied conducting with Antonino Votto and Carlo Maria Giuliani prior to his 1956 professional bow with a performance of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville." Zedda won the 1957 RAI International Conductors Competition, thereby starting a wide-ranging international career of more than half-a-century. He was to have a long association with La Scala Milano while leading acclaimed performances at the Paris Opera, the Berlin State Opera, Covent Garden, Naples' Teatro San Carlo, the New York City Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and elsewhere. In 1969 he published the first critical edition, a 'corrected' score based upon the best modern scholarship available, of "The Barber of Seville," then over the years worked on critical editions of much of the Rossini canon. Though best known as a Rossini specialist, he also led the works of Bach, Handel, Verdi, Bellini, and others of the same era. Long the director of Pesaro's Rossini Foundation, Zedda remained active into advanced years both on the podium and as a Master Class presenter; he lived out his days in Rossini's hometown and died of the effects of advanced age leaving complete recordings of several Rossini pieces, among them "Tancredi," L'Italiana en Algeri," and "La Cenerentola," as well as of Bellini's "Beatrice di Tenda."
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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