Arturo Toscanini was a conductor from Italy.  He was born in Parma, Italy in 1867, and he died in 1957.  He entered Parma's Royal School of Music at 9 years old and graduated 9 later with high honors in cello and composition.  Toscanini was originally going to be a cellist, but he switched to conducting at age 19.  He married Marries Carla de Martini in 1897, a year after he conducted the world premiere of La Bohème at the Regio.  In 1910, he toured in Paris, then directed the  world premiere of Fanciulla del West in New York. ^[1]  Toscanini made a debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1926 and conducted the world premiere of Turandot.  He conducted his first broadcast concert on December 25, 1937. He had his final concert in April 4, 1954 with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, which was created for him.

He was one of the most influential symphony orchestra and opera conductor of his time in the eyes of many contemporary musicians.  Toscanini regarded the performer as the servant of the composer.  He emphasized music of Italian composers of his day.  He rose to fame the first time he conducted a performance, when he filled in for the conductor during the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verdi in 1886. ^[2] Since then, he became exceptionally famous worldwide.  Toscanini left no memoirs and avoided all interviews.  He was very private and conservative for such a public figure.  He found the fame somewhat overwhelming.  A letter he wrote was found and translated from 1936.  "My God, what a life! And to think that many people envy me! They see nothing but the exterior, which glitters in appearance, but a person's interior, soul, heart? What unknown, unexplored things they are!!" ^[3]  Even over half a century after his death, Toscanini still has a "reputation, among local musicians, not only for his virtually photographic memory and other remarkable talents, but also for his wide-ranging musical interests and passionately held ideals." ^[4]