Giuseppe Patanè (1 January 1932 – 29 May 1989) was an Italian operatic conductor. He was born in Naples, the son of the conductor Franco Patanè (1908–1968). Patanè studied piano and composition at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella in Naples, where he also received his musical training.
He made his conducting debut at the age of 19 in 1951, leading a performance of La traviata at the Teatro Mercadante in Naples. Early in his career he worked as a répétiteur and assistant conductor at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, until 1956. Patanè subsequently held positions as principal conductor at the Linz Opera (1961–1962) and later conducted at several major European houses, including the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.
On 29 May 1989, while conducting Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Patanè suffered a fatal collapse on the podium. He died in Munich shortly thereafter. His career is noted for his interpretations of the Italian operatic repertoire and for his contributions to opera houses in Italy, Austria, and Germany.
