John Amadio

John Amadio (15 November 1883 – 4 April 1964) was an Australian flute player, born in New Zealand, who performed with orchestras around the world and made a career as an international soloist and operatic accompanist.

When the boy was one year old, his father died and Eliza took the family to Wellington where, in 1890 at the age of 39, she married a 22-year-old carpenter and amateur flute player, Henry Antonio Amadio.

There, in 1902 he accompanied the French-American operatic soprano Clementine de Vere Sapio, who presented him with the ruby ring from her finger and a bouquet of flowers after their performance of the "Mad Scene" from Lucia di Lammermoor.

Among his students were the later Australian virtuosi, Victor McMahon, Leslie Barklamb,[1] and John's own nephew Neville Amadio, who was principal flute with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for 50 years.

[2] From then until 1947, Amadio was based in London, touring with his second wife, Florence Austral, and accompanying well-known operatic sopranos of the day such as Emma Calvé, Frieda Hempel, Lily Pons and Amelita Galli-Curci.

Amadio often shared the stage with performers like the tenors Tito Schipa and Richard Crooks, the bass Ezio Pinza, and violinist Alfredo Campoli.