Antonio Bibalo

Antonio Gino Bibalo (18 January 1922 – 20 June 2008) was an Italian-Norwegian pianist and composer of contemporary classical music, primarily operas.

During World War II he was drafted into the Italian army and ended up in military prison when he tried to desert.

When he eventually returned to Trieste in 1946, he received his diploma from the conservatory and worked as a bar pianist to support himself.

He then walked to Marseille, hoping to study composition, but ended up in the French Foreign Legion and was sent to Oman where he was assigned to entertain in the officer's mess, and teach piano to their wives.

There he supported himself while composing by working as a music copyist and as bar pianist at the Grand Hotel in Oslo.