Date of Birth: July 7, 1911
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Date of Death: February 1, 2007
Biography
Gian Carlo Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist born on July 7, 1911, in Cadegliano-Viconago, Italy. He is best known for his operas, which combine modern musical idioms with traditional operatic forms. Menotti’s career began at the tender age of 11 when he wrote his first opera. He moved to the United States in 1928 to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he composed his first mature opera, “Amelia Goes to the Ball.” Menotti’s most famous work, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” was the first opera specifically composed for television, premiering on NBC in 1951. He also founded the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, and its American counterpart in Charleston, South Carolina, fostering a rich cultural exchange between Europe and America. Menotti’s contributions to music were recognized with numerous awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes for his operas “The Consul” and “The Saint of Bleecker Street.” He passed away on February 1, 2007, in Monte Carlo, Monaco, leaving behind a rich legacy in the world of classical music.
5 Interesting Facts about Gian Carlo Menotti
1. Gian Carlo Menotti was the first composer to write an opera specifically for television, “Amahl and the Night Visitors” in 1951.
2. He won two Pulitzer Prizes for his operas “The Consul” in 1950 and “The Saint of Bleecker Street” in 1955.
3. Menotti founded the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, in 1958, which he aimed to be a cultural bridge between Italy and America.
4. He was openly gay and had a lifelong partnership with fellow composer Samuel Barber, with whom he shared a home in Mount Kisco, New York.
5. Menotti wrote both the music and libretti for most of his operas, a relatively rare practice among composers.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Gian Carlo Menotti
1. “In many ways, I consider myself an American composer, not because I was born in America, but because my music was born there.”
2. “A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance.”
3. “There is no such thing as a small decision. Every decision you make has a consequence.”
4. “I have always written the music that I hear within myself. It is not my responsibility to make it fit into a particular category.”
5. “Art is the only place you can do what you like. That’s freedom.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
Gian Carlo Menotti’s highest net worth was estimated to be around $5 million.
Children
Gian Carlo Menotti adopted one son, Francis “Chip” Phelan Menotti, who became involved in the management of the Festival of Two Worlds.
Relevant Links
1. [Gian Carlo Menotti – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gian_Carlo_Menotti
3. [The Festival of Two Worlds](https://www.festivaldispoleto.com/
4. [Gian Carlo Menotti – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0579964/
5. [Gian Carlo Menotti’s Operas – Opera America](https://www.operaamerica.org/
