Nicola Antonio Porpora

Nicola Antonio Porpora was an Italian composer and singing teacher born in Naples in 1686. He studied at the Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo and became one of the leading opera composers of the early 18th century. Porpora served at courts in Naples, Venice, Dresden, Vienna, and London, where he directed the Opera of the Nobility in rivalry with Handel. His works include over 50 operas, sacred music, and instrumental pieces, with notable pupils including Farinelli, Caffarelli, and Haydn. He is remembered for his mastery of vocal writing and his influence on the bel canto tradition.