Carnegie Hall

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) was born in a small village near Parma, Italy. He began studying the organ at the age of seven, and not long after became an organist at his family’s church. As a child, Verdi began composing pieces for the church and local orchestra. He wanted to attend the Milan Conservatory but was not accepted, so he began studying privately with a composition teacher and became the rehearsal director for a choral group, a position that inspired him to write his first opera. While some of Verdi’s early operas were not met with recognition and acclaim, he went on to become one of the most famous composers of Italian opera with works that include Il trovatore, Aida, and Rigoletto.