Nello Santi

Nello Santi (born September 22, 1931) is an Italian conductor. He is often called "Papa Santi" by his fellow musicians to show their high respect for his work.

Santi was born in Adria (Veneto), Italy. He studied composition at the Liceo musicale of Padua. In 1951, he made his debut as a conductor in Padua conducting Verdi's Rigoletto at the Teatro Verdi. He was appointed as the music director of the Zurich Opera House from 1958 to 1969. He has conducted at the Zurich Opera from 1958, Metropolitan Opera from 1962 when he made his debut with Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, Royal Opera House with La traviata and many more opera houses all over the world including Verona Arena. At some time, Nello Santi retired to Riehen (canton Basel-Stadt), but still occasionally gave very much appreciated concerts in Basel.

• 1971: Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with Plácido Domingo, Montserrat Caballé, Sherrill Milnes; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; Audio CD: RCA Red Seal
• 1976: Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re with Plácido Domingo, Anna Moffo, Cesare Siepi, Pablo Elvira; London Symphony Orchestra; Audio CD: RCA Red Seal
• 1981: Giordano's Andrea Chénier with Plácido Domingo, Gabriela Beňačková, Piero Cappuccilli; Vienna State Opera orchestra and chorus; DVD: Deutsche Grammophon; Cat: 00440 073 4070
• 1982: Puccini's La fanciulla del West with Carol Neblett, Plácido Domingo, Silvano Carroli; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Orchestra and Chorus; DVD: Kultur Video; ASIN: 032031203822
• 1988: Rossini's Guglielmo Tell with Antonio Salvadori, Maria Chiara, Salvatore Fisichella; Condor, Opernhaus-Zurich; TV/DVD
• 2000: Verdi's I due Foscari with Leo Nucci, Vincenzo La Scola, Alexandrina Pendatchanska; Teatro San Carlo Orchestra and Chorus; DVD: TDK
• 2006: Donizetti's Don Pasquale with Juan Diego Florez, Isabel Rey, Ruggero Raimondi; Zurich Opera Orchestra; DVD; DECCA [1]