Mario Bernardi

For the Italian pilot, see Mario de Bernardi (pilot).

Mario Bernardi, CC FRSC (20 August 1930 – 2 June 2013) was a Canadian conductor and pianist.^[1] He conducted 75 different operas and over 450 other works with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.^[1]

Mario Bernardi
Mario Bernardi (left), and Bramwell Tovey (right) in 2005
Born	(1930-08-20)20 August 1930 Kirkland Lake, Ontario
Died	2 June 2013(2013-06-02) (aged 82) Toronto, Ontario
Resting place	Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
Occupation(s)	conductor, pianist
Awards	Order of Canada

Biography

Bernardi was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario,^[1] and spent his first six years in Canada. After his family moved to Italy,^[1] Bernardi studied piano, organ, and composition with Bruno Pasut [it] at the Manzato Conservatory at Treviso and took his examinations at Italy's Venice Conservatory.^[1]

After graduating in 1945, his family returned to Canada where he finished his studies at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.^[1] He then was a concert pianist.

In 1957 he conducted the Canadian Opera Company,^[1] and in 1963 was an assistant conductor and later a music director and conductor of the Mozart opera presentations at the Sadler's Wells Opera Company (now the English National Opera) from 1966 to 1968.^[1]

In 1969 he became the founding conductor of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa,^[1] and also became the music director in 1971.^[1] He then led the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra from 1984 until 1992.^[1] From 1983 until 2006 he was the principal conductor of the CBC Radio Orchestra.^[1] He then retired from full-time work, although he continued to perform with numerous orchestras as an occasional guest conductor;^[1] he was named NACO's conductor laureate in 1997.^[1]

He has made several dozen recordings for CBC Records, the CBC's in-house label, among others.^[1]

He died on 2 June 2013 in Toronto.^[2]

Personal life

Bernardi worked until age 80, when he had a serious stroke and moved to a care home. He continued to play piano until he lost sufficient finger dexterity.^[3]

Bernardi was married, with one daughter and two grandsons.^[3]

Honours

• He has honorary degrees from the University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of Windsor, University of Ottawa, Carleton University, Lakehead University and Laurentian University.^[1]
• 1972: He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.^[4]
• 1982: Received the Diplôme d'Honneur from the Canadian Conference of the Arts
• 1999: Bernardi received the National Arts Centre Award, a companion award of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.^[5]
• 2001: He received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.^[6]
• 2006: He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.^[7]