Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was born in Lucca, Tuscany in 1858.He was born to a family of organists and choirmasters. At the age of five his father died and he was sent to his uncle to study music. After some time studying music, he became a church organist and choirmaster. It was during this time he saw a perfomance of "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi, in Pisa. This opera thrilled him so much that he decided he wanted to be an opera composer from then on. In 1880, Giacomo's mother thought it best to send him to study at the Milan Conservatory, where he was offered a scholarship. He studied there for three years under his composition teacher Amilcare Ponchielli.

In 1884 he wrote his first opera "Le Villi", which was seen by Giulio Ricordi, the famous music publisher. He later commissioned him for a second opera "Edgar", in 1889. His most famous operas are;

• Manon Lescaut composed in 1893
• La boheme composed in 1896
• Tosca composed in 1900
• Madama Butterfly composed in 1904
• La fanciulla del West composed in 1910
• Turandot composed in 1924, however it was left unfinished

In 1923, Giacomo started to complain about serious sore throats. It was then discovered he had throat cancer by doctors. He was given a new treatment of radiation therapy, however in 1924 he died because of effects from the treatment. He was buried in a chapel inside his home in Tuscany.