Gioachino Rossini
Composer
(1792-1868) Born in Pesaro along the Adriatic Sea, Gioachino Rossini is considered one of the greatest of the Italian opera composers. He was extremely prolific, writing 39 operas between 1812 and 1829. His comic operas are especially popular, including The Barber of Seville (1816), Cinderella (1817), and Semiramide (1823). His last opera, William Tell (1829), is considered a masterpiece. Throughout his adult life, he suffered from complications of syphilis. As a result, Rossini made his money while still a young man and quit composing at the height of his popularity at the age of 37. He lived another 40 years.