American conductor Joseph Giardina died in Rome at the age of 92. Born in Guttenberg, New Jersey, he made his debut as a conductor at the age of 16, after graduating from the Julliard School of Music in New York. In 1953 he arrived in Italy and pursued his studies at the Academy of Santa Cecilia first and then at the Pontifical Institute. In 1970 Giardina began a collaboration with the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, lasting twenty years during which he held the roles of choirmaster and vocal coach.
Among his students the greatest singers in the world: Sesto Bruscantini, Renato Bruson, José Carreras, Mario Del Monaco, Giuseppe Di Stefano and Gianni Raimondi. Giardina was also a coach for Maria Callas. He is quoted for having said: « Callas was a very modest woman, unfortunately she had a sad and troubled life. She was very studious, she could spend half an hour rehearsing a trill… »
Outside Italy, he has conducted and taught in many countries.
