Italiano was a man of music

For more than 50 years, Francesco "Frank" Italiano instilled in students a passion for music, founded several musical organizations and developed a successful seasoning business.

Italiano died Friday after battling Alzheimer's disease for several years. He was 90.

Whether directing a high school band or orchestra or working with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, Italiano, or "Maestro" as he was known to many, always brought out the best in his musicians, colleagues and former students said Saturday.

Former Onalaska Luther High School choral music director David Adickes said Italiano's work with the school's band and orchestra made those around him want to be their best.

"If I had to point to the one person who had the biggest impact on my life, it would be Frank," Adickes said. "I tried very hard to match his dedication to musical excellence and make it the best it could possibly be. ... He had something special that made you want to be the best you could be."

Italiano's open passion and enthusiasm allowed him to demand perfection from his students without causing them to lose their joy or excitement, said former student Cindy (Berg) Selin.

"Because of the way he treated you, you never felt like you couldn't be a musician. He was so encouraging," Selin said. "Sure he was demanding and he expected perfection, but he did it in a way that made you want to do your best."

Along with his work with students at Luther, Logan High School, Lincoln Junior High and other schools, Italiano was the spark behind projects that made the Coulee Region overflow with culture and music.

He was the founder of the La Crosse Youth Symphony and the Symphony School of America, which made it possible for promising young musicians to work with some of the top names in their field.

He also helped start the Great River Festival of Arts and founded the Symphony of the Hills.

In 1969, he gave casual musicians the chance to get back into music when he started the Da Capo Band.

Italiano, who was conductor of the La Crosse Symphony from 1968 to 1972, studied under Leonard Bernstein, Thor Johnson and William Henry Smith.

A Waukesha, Wis., native, Italiano originally went to college to pursue a career in medicine, but his love of music derailed those plans.

After graduating from Carroll College in 1938, Italiano took a job teaching music in Cashton, Wis., and then Richland Center, Wis., before leaving for a two-year stint in the Navy during World War II as a radar operator.

After the war, Italiano returned to music and spent one year in China, where he was conductor of the Shanghai Symphony while he was an official cultural representative to the government of China.

Italiano returned to the La Crosse area, where he resumed his teaching career.

In 1951, after spending several years testing and grinding combinations of spices in his own kitchen, Italiano started Pleasoning Gourmet Seasonings.

The business, located at 2418 South Avenue, is now owned by Italiano's daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and Paul Boarman. It produces more than 30 combinations of seasonings, all low-sodium, that are shipped around the world.