Attilio Colonnello

Italian stage director, set designer, and designer

Attilio Colonnello (born in Milan on November 9, 1930) is an Italian set designer, stage director, and designer. He studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, Gio Ponti, Ernesto Nathan Rogers, and Giulio Minolleti were his professors. He first drew critical praise for his set designs in 1956, for La traviata at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. This was followed by designs for Arrigo Boito’s Mefistofele at La Scala in 1958. He designed several more Milan productions, including Don Pasquale in 1965 and two productions for Margherita Wallmann: the première of Ildebrando Pizzetti’s Clitennestra in 1965 and another Don Pasquale in 1973. read more

In 1962, Colonnello made his debut in the United States at the Dallas Civic Opera with a critically acclaimed production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello, and the following years, also for the Dallas Civic Opera, he designed Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. In 1964, he designed for first time for the Metropolitan Opera Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. He later designed two productions for Nathaniel Merrill at the Met: a 19th-century Luisa Miller (1968), and a gloomy Il trovatore (1969).A

Starting in 1964, Colonnello worked frequently as a set designer and director for the Teatro di San Carlo. His first production with the company was Roberto Devereux, again with Wallmann as director. He then designed and directed productions of Adriana Lecouvreur (1966), the première of Jacopo Napoli’s Barone avaro, and Samson et Dalila (both 1970), Carmen (1975), La Gioconda (1977) and I puritani and Luisa Miller (both 1988).

In 1964 he designed and directed productions of Cavalleria rusticana and La bohème and designed a production of Mefistofele for director Herbert Graf. He then designed Carmen (1965), Rigoletto (1966), La forza del destino (1967) and Andrea Chénier ( 1967). For the festival’s 100th anniversary he staged Aida (1968) and later returned for a lauded production of Un ballo in maschera (1972). In 1984 he returned to design and direct I Lombardi.

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Attilio Colonnello's products

Atillio Colonnello
Dining table

Gio Ponti
Coffee table no. 1101

Gio Ponti
Rare coffee table

Gio Ponti and Paolo de Poli
Blue vase

Gio Ponti
Dining chairs model 111 - set of 6

Gio Ponti
Glass coffee table

Gio Ponti and Piero Fornasetti
Chiavi e pistole - chair

Gio Ponti
Luna - lamps from Villa Arreaza, Caracas

Gio Ponti
Desk/vanity

Gio Ponti
Luna - pair of lamps, from Villa Arreaza

Gio Ponti
Balletto Alla Scala fabric

Gio Ponti
Balletto Alla Scala fabric - burgundy

Gio Ponti
Cabinet and Sideboard for Singer & Sons

Gio Ponti
Headboard and Daybed

Gio Ponti
Gatto - (cat)

Gio Ponti
Rare chair for Vembi Burroughs

Gio Ponti
Pair of armchairs model 504

Gio Ponti and Paolo de Poli
Uccello - (bird)

Gio Ponti and Paolo de Poli
Cavallo - (horse)

Gio Ponti
Poesia del Mare–turquoise fabric pattern

Gio Ponti
Poesia del mare-black & white pattern

Gio Ponti
Diavolo - decorative objects

Gio Ponti
Set of 4 dining chairs model 646/2

Gio Ponti
Set of 6 dining chairs model 646/2

Gio Ponti
Cristalli fabric pattern

Gio Ponti
Estate - fabric pattern

Gio Ponti
Legge Mediterranea fabric pattern

Gio Ponti
Eclissi fabric pattern