TheDie Abbado familyfamilie forhet severalvir generationsverskeie enjoyedgenerasies bothbeide wealthrespek anden respectrykdom geniet. Abbado'sgreat-grandfatherse squanderedoupagrootjie thehet familyegter fortunedie andfamilie reputationerfenis byen reputasie deur dobbel gamblingverkwis. HisSy sonseun, Abbado'sgrandfatherse oupa, becamehet a'n professor atby thedie [[UniversityUniversiteit van of TurinTuryn]] geword.<ref name=ew>{{harvnb|Ewen|1978|p=1}}</ref> HisSy grandfatheroupa re-establishedhet thedie family'sfamilie reputationse andreputasie alsoherstel showed talenten as an amateur musicianmusikant talent getoon.{{citation needed|date=JanuaryJanuarie 2019}}
BornAbbado is in [[MilanMilaan]], [[ItalyItalië]] on Juneop 26, Junie 1933, gebore.<ref name=npr>{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2014/01/21/264506409/tracing-the-career-of-claudio-abbado-a-consummate-conductor|title = Abbado obituary | access-date =7 MarchMaart 2019}}</ref> Claudio Abbado was thedie sonseun ofvan violinistdie and[[violis]] composeren conductorkomponis Michelangelo Abbado,<ref name=EB/> anden thedie brotherbroer ofvan thedie musicianmusikant [[Marcello Abbado]] (borngebore in 1926). HisSy fathervader, a'n professionalprofessionele violinistviolis anden a'n professor atby thedie ''[[MilanMilanese ConservatoryKonservatoria|Giuseppe Verdi ConservatoryKonservatoria]]'', was hissy firsteerste piano teacherklavieronderwyser. HisSy mother alsomoeder was anook adept'n pianistkundige pianis. Marcello Abbado het later became'n akonsertpianis concerten pianistonderwyser andby teacher at thedie ''[[Conservatorio Statale di Musica "Gioachino Rossini"|Rossini ConservatoryKonservatoria]]'' in [[Pesaro]] geword. HisSy sistersuster alsohet exhibitedook talent in musicmusiek getoon, butmaar didhet notna pursuehaar atrou musicalnie career'n aftermusikale herloopbaan marriagenagejaag nie. HisSy otherander brotherbroer het later became'n asuksesvolle successfulargitek architectgeword.<ref name=ew/><ref name=cb/>
Abbado's childhood encompassed the Nazi occupation of Milan. During that time, Abbado's mother spent time in prison for harbouring a Jewish child.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10583860/Claudio-Abbado-obituary.html | title=Claudio Abbado – obituary | work=Telegraph | date=20 January 2014 | accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref> This period solidified his anti-fascist political sentiments. Claudio himself is known for having a famous anecdote about how when he was just twelve years old he wrote "Viva [[Béla Bartók|Bartók]]" on a local wall which caught the attention of the [[Gestapo]] and sent them on the hunt for the culprit. His passionate opposition to fascism continued into his adult years.<ref name=npr/> However, his musical interests also developed, with attendance at performances at La Scala,<ref name=cb/> as well as orchestral rehearsals in Milan led by such conductors as [[Arturo Toscanini]] and [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]]. He later recalled that Toscanini's periods of abusive behaviour to musicians in rehearsal repelled him.<ref name="Telegraph"/>
