Juan Matteucci
Juan Matteucci was a Chilean and New Zealand conductor who was resident conductor of the NZBC Symphony Orchestra from 1964 to 1969.
Early life and education
Juan Matteucci was born in 1920 in Faenza, Italy in the dressing room of an opera house where his father Amilcare Matteucci was playing in the orchestra and his mother was attending a performance. His family moved from Italy to Chile and he gained a Bachelors degree in philosophy, biology and maths before attending medical school for four years all the while studying the cello. He dropped medicine in favour of studying music full time.Career
At the age of 20 Matteucci became principal cellist with the Symphony Orchestra of Chile, taking over his father's position in the orchestra. He began conducting and won a scholarship from the Chilean government to study at the Verdi Conservatorium in Milan. Between 1951 and 1964 he was assistant conductor and then conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Chile and a Professor of the History of Art at a university in Chile from 1942 to 1948. He was appointed the sixth resident conductor of the NZBC Symphony Orchestra in 1964 holding the position until 1969, the first conductor to have a five year contract. During his time as conductor he, with the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation's Head of Music, recruited players from Europe, North, South and Central America to increase the size of the orchestra. After previous British or British-trained conductors he brought a fresh approach and innovations to the orchestra such as making its first appearance on television.In 1969 he became conductor of the Auckland Symphonia ; the orchestra's voluntary liquidation in 1980 was attributed partly to Matteucci's "imprudent programming".
In New Zealand he also conducted the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the New Zealand Ballet and was Musical Director of Auckland Mercury Opera. He conducted orchestras in other countries: Symphony West in Provo, Utah; the Utah Symphony in Salt Lake City for Utah Opera Company productions; the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia; the Victoria Symphony Orchestra in Canada; in China and the USSR.
Matteucci acted as New Zealand's Honorary Consul of Chile.
He died in New Zealand on 13 October 1990.