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Prolific Italian composer renowned for his iconic film scores, particularly his extensive collaboration with director Federico Fellini. Nino Rota was a child prodigy who composed significant works before his teens. He studied at the Milan Conservatory and later at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. While he composed operas, ballets, and concertos, he achieved global fame through his evocative and memorable film music. His long-standing partnership with Federico Fellini produced scores for masterpieces like 'La Strada', 'Nights of Cabiria', 'La Dolce Vita', and '8½'. He also composed the Academy Award-winning score for 'The Godfather Part II' and the instantly recognizable theme for 'The Godfather'. Rota served as director of the Bari Conservatory for nearly three decades until his death.

• Rota's famous theme for 'The Godfather' ('Speak Softly Love') was actually adapted from a piece he had composed years earlier for the 1958 Italian film 'Fortunella'.
• Despite his immense success in film, Rota considered himself primarily a composer of concert and stage music, producing over 150 works including 10 operas and numerous ballets and orchestral pieces.
• His score for 'The Godfather' won the 1974 Oscar, but this was controversial as the Academy initially revoked the nomination (later reinstated) due to a rule stating a score couldn't be eligible if it contained pre-existing themes; the 'Fortunella' connection was cited, though the bulk of the score was original.
• He died relatively suddenly in Rome at age 67 from coronary thrombosis, just ten days after completing the score for Fellini's 'Orchestra Rehearsal'.