Virgilio Mortari

Virgilio Mortari (December 6, 1902 in Passirana di Lainate in Milan, † September 5, 1993 in Rome) was an Italian composer and music educator.

Life and work

Mortari studied at the Conservatory in Milan in Costante Adolfo Bossi and Ildebrando Pizzetti. In 1924 he won with his Sonata per pianoforte, violin and violoncello first prize of a composition competition of the Società Italiana di Musica Contemporanea. From 1933 to 1940 he taught at the Conservatorio di Musica B. Marcello in Venice, from 1940 at the Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia in Rome. 1955 to 1959 he was superintendent at the Teatro la Fenice in Venice and since 1963 Vice- President of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Mortari composed several operas ( La Scuola delle Mogli 1930, La figlia del diavolo 1954, Il contratto 1964 and others), orchestral works, chamber music and songs. He also took over the publication of Italian oratorios and operas of the 18th century and co-authored with Alfredo Casella the textbook La tecnica dell'Orchestra contemporanea ( published in Milan in 1950 ).