Nicola Porpora

Nicola (Antonio) Porpora (17th August 1686-3rd March 1768) was an Italian composer of Baroque operas, and a teacher of singing whose most famous student was the castrato Farinelli. Porpora was born in Naples. He graduated from the music conservatory Poveri di Gesù Cristo of his native city, where the civic opera scene was dominated by Alessandro Scarlatti. Porpora's first opera, Agrippina, was successfully performed at the Neapolitan court in 1708.