Dmitry Bortnyansky studied under the Italian composer Baldassarre Galuppi during his early years in the Imperial Chapel Choir in Saint Petersburg, where Galuppi served as director. Recognizing the young musician’s exceptional talent in composition and singing, Galuppi became his primary teacher and mentor.
In 1769 Galuppi took Bortnyansky with him to Italy, where the young composer continued his studies under Galuppi’s guidance for ten years in Venice, Bologna, Rome, and Naples. During this period Bortnyansky honed his compositional technique, absorbing Italian operatic and polyphonic traditions and successfully premiering several operas. Their teacher‑student relationship was central to Bortnyansky’s artistic development and future success.
