Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni (born 7 December 1863 in Livorno, Italy) was an Italian composer. After studying with Alfredo Soffredini, he wrote symphonic pieces and, in 1890, composed Cavalleria Rusticana, winning a Sonzogno competition and debuting at Teatro Costanzi. His subsequent works included works such as L’amico Fritz (1891) and Iris (1898). He also produced operas like Guglielmo Ratcliff (1895) and the operetta Lodoletta (1917). Mascagni toured Europe, South America, and North America, collaborated with librettists Luigi Illica and Gabriele D’Annunzio, and was inducted into the Royal Academy of Italy in 1929. He also directed L’amico Fritz at La Scala in 1931. Mascagni died on 2 August 1945.
