One of the most prominent composers of all time, he was born on 22/12/1858 in Lucca, Italy, into a family of musicians. He studied composition and the organ in his hometown, while in 1880 he continued his studies at the Milan Conservatory. There he remained for three years and came into contact with the Scapigliatura movement. He had already composed several works, including the orchestral Capriccio sinfonico, when in 1884 he presented his first opera, Le Villi, in Milan, marking the beginning of a lifelong collaboration with the publisher Giulio Ricordi. His first major success came in 1893 with Manon Lescaut, followed by such famous operas as La bohème (1896), Tosca (1900) and Madama Butterfly (1904). Initially influenced by the romantic opera of the 19th century, he is considered the main proponent of the Italian lyrical tradition after Verdi, while he was associated with the verismo movement, creating works inspired by everyday life. His last opera Turandot (1926) was left unfinished due to his sudden death and was completed by the composer Franco Alfano. He died on 29/11/1924 in Brussels, at the age of 65. // Last update of the biography: February 2026 - The list of productions below is continually updated.