Salieri, Antonio Antonio Salieri (August 18, 1750, Legnago, Republic of Venice [Italy]—May 7, 1825, Vienna, Austria), an Italian composer whose operas were lauded across Europe in the late 18th century. He is best remembered for his role as Kapellmeister to the Imperial Court of Vienna. Born into a musical family, Salieri showed an early interest in music and at the age of 14 he was accepted into the Venetian Academy where he studied with several prominent composers of his time, including Domenico Cimarosa, Girolamo Frescobaldi, and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. In 1771, he became maestro di cappella at the Maria Theresia Church in Vienna and three years later was appointed court composer to the Emperor Joseph II. However, he was dismissed from this post in 1786 after a series of disputes with the emperor over stylistic matters and personal conflicts. After this dismissal, Salieri struggled to find work as a composer but did write two more opera seria: L'arbore di Diana (1790) and Le nozze di Figaro (1810). These works were well received and gained him a new reputation as a serious composer. His other compositions include masses, oratorios, songs, and instrumental pieces.