Marcello Viotti

Who was Marcello Viotti?

Marcello Viotti was a Swiss classical music conductor, best known for opera.

Viotti was born in Vallorbe, in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, to Italian parents. He studied cello, piano and singing at the Conservatory of Lausanne. Wolfgang Sawallisch was a mentor to Viotti and encouraged him to begin his career in the theatre. As a young conductor, Viotti honed his craft with the International Orchestra of the Jeunesses Musicales in the Italian town of Fermo, and also with a wind ensemble. His interpretation of Robert Schumann's 4th Symphony helped him win the 1982 Gino Marinuzzi Competition.

During the 1980s and 1990s Viotti was a director at several opera houses in Europe. These included three years as artistic director of the Stadttheater in Lucerne, a post as music director of the Turin opera, and three years as Generalmusikdirector of Bremen. He held guest conducting posts at the Vienna State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Bavarian State Opera.

Viotti was chief conductor of the Saarland Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1991 to 1995. He was one of three joint chief conductors of the MDR Symphony Orchestra in Leipzig from 1996 to 1999.