Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini (born in Lucca in 1858) was an Italian composer. He came from a dynasty of church musicians active in Lucca and studied at the Milan Conservatory, but turned to opera. He achieved his breakthrough with Manon Lescaut in 1893. His best-known works include La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, composed between 1893 and 1904. In addition to opera, Puccini wrote sacred and concert music, orchestral works, and songs for piano and voice.