Giacomo Puccini

He is best known for composing timeless staples of the operatic repertoire, including *La Bohème*, *Tosca*, and *Madama Butterfly*. His works are celebrated for their sweeping melodies and deeply emotional characterizations.

Puccini died of throat cancer in Brussels in 1924 before he could complete *Turandot*. The final duet and ending were later finished by composer Franco Alfano based on Puccini's surviving sketches.

He was born in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, in 1858 into a long lineage of local church musicians. He later moved to Milan to study at the Milan Conservatory.

He is widely considered the leading Italian composer of the verismo (realist) movement, though his style draws heavily on late Romantic traditions. His orchestration often incorporated local folk elements and harmonies to reflect the specific setting of his plots.