Anton Coppola

Anton Coppola (March 21, 1917 – March 9, 2020) was an American opera conductor and composer. He was born in Ocean Hill, Brooklyn but grew up mostly in East Harlem. Coppola started his career at the age of eight with the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus and was part of the Met's debut of Turandot at the age of nine. He served as an army bandmaster during World War II and later became a conductor at Radio City Music Hall. Coppola was also the director of both the Symphony and Opera Departments at the Manhattan School of Music. He was related to film director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, and was the great-uncle of Nicolas Cage, Christopher Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Gian-Carlo Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Robert Schwartzman. Anton Coppola was the younger brother of American composer and musician Carmine Coppola.