Italian conductor, Claudio Abbado died in Bologna on 2014-01-20 at the age of 80 after a long illness.

Abbado, from Milan, made his debut at La Scalla in 1960.  Among the orchestras which he conducted are:

• Vienna Philharmonic
• Vienna State Opera
• London Symphony Orchestra
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Berlin Philharmonic

He also recorded for Deutche Gramaphon, Decca and Sony, and received numerous awards, including two Grammys.

You can read obituaries on the Reuters, BBC and Gramophone Web sites, among others.

© Wayne Butcher