Opera houses are mourning the loss of legendary pianist Maurizio Pollini, who died at 82 on March 23, 2024.

In a statement, the Teatro alla Scala said, “La Scala mourns the loss of Maurizio Pollini, one of the great musicians of our time” while the Teatro La Fenice said, “It hurts our hearts to write about his passing… yes, because Maurizio Pollini, Titan of musical interpretation, Man, who did everything possible to ennoble music for Music, is gone. We will continue to listen to him to preserve his memory. RIP.”

Meanwhile, the Rossini Opera Festival said, “The Rossini Opera Festival joins the music world in mourning the death of Maurizio Pollini, the protagonist of numerous piano and chamber concerts at the Festival from 1985 to 2002, and where he directed ‘La donna del lago’ in 1981 and 1983.”

Throughout his career, Pollini was known for performances of compositions by Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy. He also championed and performed works by contemporary composers such as Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, George Benjamin, Roberto Carnevale, Gianluca Cascioli, and Bruno Maderna. He performed at all the great theaters in the world including the Royal Festival Hall, Salzburg Festival, Carnegie Hall, and Teatro alla Scala.