Respighi

Italian composer Ottorino Respighi (1879 - 1936) studied music in his native Bologna and later, briefly, with Rimsky-Korsakov in St Petersburg. A viola player and pianist, as well as a composer, he settled in Rome in 1913, earning a reputation also for his interest in early music and for his work as a teacher. Respighi is chiefly known for his vivid symphonic poems, in particular Fontane di Roma (Fountains of Rome), Pini di Roma(Pines of Rome) and Feste romane (Roman Festivals). Respighi’s La Boutique fantasque, based on Rossini, is well known to ballet audiences.