Ottorino Respighi (born on July 9th, 1879 in Bologna – died on April 18th, 1936 in Rome) was an Italian composer. He was a leader in the new Italian instrumental music movement.

Respighi was the son of a piano teacher and received violin and piano lessons as a child. From 1891 to 1899 he studied the violin and viola under Federico Sarti and composition under Luigi Torchi and Giuseppe Martucci at the Liceo musicale in Bologna.