Gioachino Rossini

He was born in the small Italian town of Pesaro. He grew up in a musical environment. In 1807 Rossini began taking lessons in composition. By 1812 he had already written five operas. A great triumph came to Rossini with his "The Barber of Seville", staged in 1816 at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. In 1823, at the invitation of the director of the Royal Theatre in London, the composer travelled to Great Britain. In 1824 Rossini took up the post of director of the Théâtre-Italien in Paris. He wrote 39 operas, as well as sacred and chamber music. He died in Paris.