Antonio Sacchini studied under Francesco Durante in Naples, beginning at the Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto when Sacchini was ten years old. Durante, who served as the head of the conservatory from 1742, recognized Sacchini's musical talent early and personally instructed him in the fundamentals of composition, harmony, and counterpoint. Sacchini became one of Durante’s favorite pupils, despite the teacher’s reputation for strictness and high expectations.
Durante not only provided Sacchini with rigorous musical training but also predicted his future success, reportedly calling him a formidable rival to other students and even suggesting he might become the "man of the century." Sacchini continued studying with Durante until the latter’s death in 1755, by which time Sacchini had mastered the foundational skills that would support his later operatic career across Italy, London, and Paris.
