Fausto Cleva

Fausto Cleva (May 17, 1902 – August 6, 1971) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American operatic conductor.

After studies at the Conservatorio in his native city and Milan, Cleva made his debut conducting La traviata in Teatro Carcano, in Milan, before emigrating to the United States in 1920, becoming an American citizen in 1931.

In 1947 he conducted a performance of La bohème in Havana, with Hjördis Schymberg as Mimi.

He left some very important recordings, such as Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with Richard Tucker and Giuseppe Valdengo; Catalani's La Wally with Renata Tebaldi and Mario Del Monaco; Puccini's Tosca with Maria Callas, Franco Corelli and Tito Gobbi; and Verdi's Luisa Miller with Anna Moffo and Carlo Bergonzi.

He died from a heart attack in Athens while conducting Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice.