Profile of the Day: Vincenzo Bellini

Do you have Italian ancestry? On this day in 1801, operatic composer Vincenzo Bellini was born in Catania, Sicily.

Image: Vincenzo Bellini / Rijksmuseum

Bellini was born to a highly musical family and showed signs of his musical talent at an early age. Although not much is known about his early life, some stories say that he learned to sing at 18 months and play the piano at the age of 3. His grandfather and his father were organists and teachers. Like his family before him, Bellini studied music at the Naples Conservatory.

He found success early in his career. His opera ‘Il pirata,’ became a huge success and earned Bellini international fame. Lauded for his ability to create long and expressive melodies, Bellini became known as “the Swan of Catania.”

At the height of his career, Bellini died of a chronic intestinal ailment. He was 33.

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