About Toni Ortelli
Lived 1904 – 2000 (aged 95). Toni Ortelli was an Italian composer, conductor and mountaineer.
Antonio "Toni" Ortelli (November 25, 1904 in Schio, Italy – March 3, 2000 in Schio) was an Italian alpinist, conductor and composer from the Veneto.
Ortelli is well known in the southern Alps regions of Italy, Austria and Switzerland for being the composer of the famous Trentino folk song "La Montanara" (The Song of the Mountains). Ortelli, according to his own account, conceived the melody and lyrics in 1927 while being on an excursion in the mountains of the Pian della Mussa in the Val d'Ala (Piedmont) and listening to the song of a shepherd. Luigi Pigarelli, under the pseudonym Pierluigi Galli, has added other vocal parts to harmonize it as a choral piece for men's choir. It has been translated into 148 languages.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Toni Ortelli's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Toni Ortelli?
Italian alpinist, conductor and composer
When was Toni Ortelli born?
Toni Ortelli was born on 25 November 1904 in Schio.
When did Toni Ortelli die?
Toni Ortelli died on 2 March 2000 in Schio.
What was Toni Ortelli's occupation?
Toni Ortelli was a composer, conductor and mountaineer.
What nationality was Toni Ortelli?
Toni Ortelli was Italian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Toni Ortelli. https://biography.guide/toni-ortelli/
MLA: "Toni Ortelli." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/toni-ortelli/.
Chicago: "Toni Ortelli." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/toni-ortelli/.
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