Italian conductor and pianist, born in Modena, Italy, in 1934.

Childhood friend of Luciano Pavarotti and his very first pianist back in 1960.
He also collaborated and played as a piano soloist with Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer, Carlo Maria Giulini, Claudio Abbado, Carlos Kleiber and many others.

Married to his former student Mirella Freni until their divorce in 1978.