Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian opera composer. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, and developed a musical education with the help of a local patron. Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini, whose works significantly influenced him. By his 30s, he had become one of the pre-eminent opera composers in history, bringing unprecedented dramatic verve to the Italian opera stage.

He also became a symbol of Italian national pride through a happy coincidence. At a time when King Victor Emmanuel was leading a drive for Italian independence, sympathetic partisans would say “Viva Verdi!” to disguise their intentions from Italy’s foreign rulers, as the name “Verdi” was understood to be an acronym for “Vittorio Emmanuele, Re D'Italia.” Verdi supported the independence movement and was happy to lend his name to it.