Article

Giuseppe Agostini

Published Online January 5, 2009

Last Edited December 16, 2013

Giuseppe Agostini. Conductor, arranger, composer, b Fano, Italy, 20 May 1890, naturalized Canadian 1926, d Montreal 9 Dec 1971. After studying oboe, harmony, and composition 1901-9 with a Professor Calestini at the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro, Italy, he taught and led bands in Fano and Cartoceto.

Agostini, Giuseppe

Giuseppe Agostini. Conductor, arranger, composer, b Fano, Italy, 20 May 1890, naturalized Canadian 1926, d Montreal 9 Dec 1971. After studying oboe, harmony, and composition 1901-9 with a Professor Calestini at the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro, Italy, he taught and led bands in Fano and Cartoceto. In 1915 he took his family to Montreal, where he became principal clarinet in (Peter) Van der Meerschen's Band. He also conducted his own band in Montreal and others in Beauharnois, Trois-Rivières, and Valleyfield, Que. After serving eight years as music director in Montreal theatres - first the Palace, then the Capitol - he worked as an arranger and conductor 1933-6 for the CRBC; his programs included the popular "One Hour with You," broadcast nationally from the Mount Royal Hotel. He was an arranger and conductor 1936-71 for the CBC, responsible for such shows as "Appointment with Agostini" and "Nos Futures Étoiles." In 1937 he was a guest conductor of the CSM (MSO). His published compositions (listed in the Catalogue of Canadian Composers) include "Ave Maria" for voice and piano or orchestra, Eternamente for four violins and organ, and "Griserie" and "Reviens" for voice (all Parnasse musical), The Three Trumpets for band (Belwin), and Marcia funebre for organ (Le Passe-Temps). He also wrote pieces for band and orchestra. Some of his scores are deposited at the BN du Q.

See also Lucio Agostini (his son) and Gloria Agostini (his daughter).