There were four generations of family members serving as maestro di cappella of the local cathedral (starting with his great, great grandfather). Giacomo was chosen as the fifth generation, but was too young when the previous maestro di cappella (his father) died.
From an early age, he studied music, and when he was 18, after seeing a performance of Verdi’s Aida, he decided to focus on writing operas.
His most famous operas include Gianni Schicchi, La boheÌ€me, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot (which he didn’t finish).
