Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor and maestro who is widely regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century. He was born in Parma, Italy in 1867 and began his career as a cellist before becoming a conductor. He conducted many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the La Scala Orchestra, and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. He was known for his passionate and precise conducting style, and his interpretations of the works of Beethoven, Wagner, and Verdi are considered some of the best ever recorded. He died in 1957 at the age of 89.