Biography
Amilcare Ponchielli was an Italian composer, best known for his operas. Born in Paderno Fasolaro (now Paderno Ponchielli) near Cremona, he studied at the Milan Conservatory from the age of nine.
He achieved success with the revised version of his opera I promessi sposi in 1872 and secured his reputation with La Gioconda (1876), which includes the ballet Dance of the Hours. Ponchielli later taught composition at the Milan Conservatory, where his pupils included Giacomo Puccini and Pietro Mascagni. He died in Milan in 1886.
Music from La Gioconda featured in the 1940 Disney film Fantasia.
