An important Italian composer and vocal teacher, Nicola Vaccai studied music, law and poetry. In 1811, Vaccai graduated from L’accademia di Santa Cecilia with the diploma di maestro. Vaccai later was a student of Paisiello in Naples where he composed liturgical music for the church. As a teacher, Vaccai became fashionable in Venice high society.Vaccai composed 17 operas; the most successful of them Zadig ed Astartea and Giulietta e Romeol. Vaccai’s book Metodo pratico di canto italiano per camera remains among standard modern teaching methods.