Leandro Campanari

Leandro Campanari (October 20, 1859 - April 22, 1939) was an Italian violinist, conductor, composer and music teacher, brother of cellist and baritone Giuseppe Campanari.

Leandro Campanari was born in Rovigo, Italy on 20 October, 1859. He began studying at a very early age and was sent by the city of Venice to the when nine years old. At 12 he toured Italy as a violinist prodigy, and to London where he played under Julius Benedict. Later he was associated with Franco Faccio and Antonio Bazzini. At 15 he entered the Conservatory of Music in Milan and studied the violin, harmony, counterpoint and conducting with the most eminent teachers of that institution. He graduated at 19 to go to England with an orchestra, where he had a very successful season. He then toured Italy and France as a virtuoso before establishing his role as a conductor.

He also taught privately and one of his pupils was the New York violinist Persis Bell, a protégée of Julius Eichberg. They married in 1880.

In 1881 he moved to America as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and featured in many concerts throughout the United States. He returned to Europe, but then back to America, where he remained for three years as the head of the Violin School at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He also assumed the direction of the music at the Church of the Immaculate Conception and brought out many important sacred works for the first time in that city.

After his service in Boston, Campanari returned to Italy in 1886 and formed the Campanari String Quartet, which toured with great success for two years. During that time many notable composers, including Puccini, Catalani, Sgambati, Bazzini, Arturo Vanbianchi, Frugatta, Bossi and Andreoli composed music especially for the Campanari Quartet.

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