The quintessential composer of the Italian bel canto era of the early 19th century, Bellini was born in Catania, Sicily, and was a child prodigy in a highly musical family. His grandfather and father were organists and he produced his first works when still a student at the Naples Conservatory, where his father had sent him. He gained the patronage of an important impresario who commissioned Bianca e Fernando for the Naples opera. The success of this early work led to other commissions.

Bellini had a gift for creating vocal melody at once pure in style and sensuous in expression. His influence is reflected not only in later operatic compositions, including the early works of Richard Wagner, but also in the instrumental music of Chopin and Liszt.

His output includes 9 operas, 6 early songs, 8 symphonies, 7 piano works, an organ sonata and 40 sacred works.

A large amount of what is known about Bellini's life and his activities comes from surviving letters which he wrote to his friend Francesco Florimo, whom he had met as a fellow student in Naples and with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship.

Bellini lived briefly in London, then went to Paris where Rossini’s influence secured him a commission for the Théâtre-Italien. The result was I Puritani, perhaps his most ambitious and beautiful work. He died in Puteaux a few days later after a short illness, aged 34.