Antonio Guarnieri

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Antonio Guarnieri (1 February 1880 – 25 November 1952) was an Italian conductor and cellist. He played cello with the Martucci String Quartet before turning to conducting in 1904. He joined the Vienna Court Opera in 1912. In 1929 he succeeded Arturo Toscanini at La Scala and led there until shortly before his death. Guarnieri was a skilled conductor and led many important premieres, including Respighi’s Belfagor. His conducting of Debussy’s Nocturnes inspired Claudio Abbado to become a conductor.