* Italian composer and one of the founders of opera
* Best known for his operas Orfeo, L'incoronazione di Poppea, and Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
* Austrian composer who wrote some of the most famous operas in history
* Best known for his operas The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, and The Marriage of Figaro
* Giuseppe Verdi
* Italian composer who was one of the most popular and successful opera composers of all time
* Best known for his operas La traviata, Rigoletto, and Aida
* Richard Wagner
* German composer, conductor, and theorist who revolutionized opera
* Best known for his operas The Ring of the Nibelung, Tristan and Isolde, and Parsifal
* Giacomo Puccini
* Italian composer who wrote some of the most popular and beloved operas of all time
* Best known for his operas La bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly
* Benjamin Britten
* English composer, conductor, and pianist who wrote many operas, as well as other works of classical music
* Best known for his operas Peter Grimes, The Turn of the Screw, and Billy Budd
* Maria Callas
* Greek-American soprano who is considered one of the greatest opera singers of all time
* Known for her powerful voice and her dramatic performances
* Luciano Pavarotti
* Italian tenor who was one of the most popular opera singers of the late 20th century
* Known for his powerful voice and his charisma