Beni Montresor (31 March 1926 – 11 October 2001) was an Italian artist, opera andfilm director,set designer, author and children's book illustrator. He won the 1965Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizingMay I Bring a Friend?.[1] The Italian government knighted him in 1966 for his contributions to the arts.
Montresor was particularly known in the United States as a designer of sets, lighting and costumes for opera. He designed sets and costumes for the 1964 American premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's operaThe Last Savage at the Metropolitan Opera. He also designed the evocative and ephemeral scenery and lighting for the Washington Opera/New York City Opera revival of the Montemezzi operaThe Love of Three Kings in 1981.[2] He was the Artistic Director of theTeatro dell'Opera di Roma in 1988–1989.[3] He directed two films,Pilgrimage (1972), starringCliff De Young andLa Messe dorée [fr] (1975), starringLucia Bosè.[4] He was also a stage and film set designer with commissions fromLa Scala,Spoleto, theGlyndebourne Festival, theNew York City Opera and theMetropolitan Opera for productions likeLa Gioconda,Esclarmonde,The Last Savage,The Daughter of the Regiment,L'Elisir d'Amore (Metropolitan Opera),Aida andThe Magic Flute (New York City Opera). Montresor worked with film directorsFederico Fellini,Vittorio De Sica andRoberto Rossellini among others.[2]
Between 1964 and 1986, Montresor also designed for a Broadway play revival (Marco Millions) and two new musicals (Do I Hear a Waltz? andRags).[5]
Montresor had a longer term affair with the writerAnne Cumming in the 1950s whilst she was married and also had many other gay and straight affairs.[6]
Beni Montresor died in Verona on 11 October 2001 at the age of 75;[7][8] the cause of his death was reportedly pancreatic cancer.[7]
Correction: Oct. 15, 2001 -- An obituary on Saturday about Beni Montresor, illustrator of children's books and designer of opera sets and costumes, misstated his age. He was 75, not 78.
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