On Oct. 2, 2023, Tenor and conductor Herbert John Handt died at the age of 97.

Born on May 26, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Handt studied at the Juilliard School of Music and the Vienna Academy of Music.

He went on to make his debut at the Wiener Staatsoper in 1949 and went on to make his conducting debut in 1960 in Rome.

Handt went on to perform at many major theaters including the Teatro della Pergola, Theatre of the US Pavillon, the Teatro Comunale, and Teatro della Pergola in Florence

His repertoire included the music of Mozart, Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. He created roles in operas by Malipiero, Menotti and Lupi,

Handt lived in Lucca, where during the summer months he organized the Associazione Musicale Lucchese Opera Festival. He was also the founder-creator of the Lucca Chamber Orchestra and the Marlia International Festival.