Composer, conductor, arranger and flutist, educated at the Manhattan School of Music (BA, MA) and Juilliard (on scholarship) (MM). He was first flutist for Radio City Music Hall from 1934 to 1936, the Detroit Symphony from 1936 to 1941, the NBC Toscanini Orchestra from 1942 to 1948 and staff arranger for Radio City Music Hall from 1948 to 1956, and the opera conductor for the Brooklyn Academy of Music from 1948 to 1955.

He was music director for the Broadway stage production of "Once Upon a Mattress" and the touring companies of "Kismet" and "La Plume de Ma Tante". He joined ASCAP in 1952.


Father of August Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire. Husband of actress Italia Coppola. Grandfather of Marc Coppola, Christopher Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Nicolas Cage and Robert Schwartzman. There are three generations of Oscar winners in the Coppola family: Carmine, his son Francis Ford Coppola his grandson Nicolas Cage and his granddaughter Sofia Coppola. They are the second family to do so, the first family is the Hustons - Anjelica Huston, John Huston and Walter Huston. Son-in-law of Francesco Pennino.