The great Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini died on Saturday at the age of 82. The legendary musician had been ill for some time and had canceled several recent concerts.

He will lie in state at Milan's La Scala opera house, with which he was closely associated, on Tuesday from 10am to 00pm. The theater directed tributes to him. "Teatro alla Scala mourns the loss of Maurizio Pollini, one of the great musicians of our time and a fundamental reference in the artistic life of the theater for over 14 years," it said in a statement.

From his debut on October 11, 1958, until his last recital on February 13, 2023, Pollini performed at La Scala 168 times, in addition to meetings with students and participation in juries and conferences. Italian President Sergio Mattarella also paid tribute to Pollini. The head of state described him as "an outstanding pianist, a rigorous, inspired performer of extraordinary musical works, a reference figure for generations of musicians from all over the world. "Pollini was a poet of the piano who, during his career of long and extraordinary, brought prestige to the international artistic scene in Italy," he said. Pollini will have a private funeral. / ANSA