Italian composer. He was a choirboy at the Bari Cathedral, then from 1726 he studied at the Conservatorio S. Maria di Loreto in Naples. From 1738 he composed comic operas for theaters in Italy. After periods of service at S. Maria Maggiore, Rome (1738-41), and at the Conservatorio della Pieta, Venice (1753-66), he was made second maestro di cappellaat St. Mark's, Venice. He returned to Naples ca. 1772, possibly to escape the law, where he remained for the rest of his life. In addition to sacred music and instrumental works he composed many operas, including Li marite a forza(Naples, 1732), Gismondo(Naples, 1737), La finta cameriera(Naples, 1738), Zenobia(Turin, 1742), Ezio(Naples, 1758), and Antigono(Naples, 1775).