Nino Rota

Although he will always be remembered for composing the haunting music in the first two films in director Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" trilogy, during his nearly 50 year career Nino Rota was one of the most prolific Italian film composers. A classically trained composer, Rota's career began in earnest in the early 1940s and lasted until his death in 1979. During that period he wrote 176 film scores, including several for the celebrated Italian film director Federico Fellini. In addition to the first two "Godfather" films, the second of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1975, some of Rota's more notable works included "The White Sheik" (1952), "La Strada" (1954), and "8 1/2" (1963), all three of which were directed by Fellini. By the time of his death at age 67 in 1979, Rota, who also wrote several operas, ballets and orchestral competitions in addition to his film work, was recognized as one of the most important composers of the twentieth century