Francesco Domenico Araja (Araia) (born June 25, 1709 in Naples; died between 1762 and 1770 in Bologna or Naples) was an Italian composer and conductor who worked in Russia for many years.
Francesco Araja probably received his first musical training from his father, Angelo Araja, and his grandfather, Pietro Aniello Araja, who were both musicians. He may also have been a pupil of Leonardo Vinci or Leonardo Leo. At the age of 14, he became choirmaster at the Church of Santa Maria La Nova in Naples. In 1729, at the age of 20, he made his debut as an opera composer. His opera ''Berenice'' was performed in Florence in 1730. Farinelli and Caffarelli sang the leading roles in the new production in Venice in 1734.
In 1735, he moved to St. Petersburg, where he was appointed Kapellmeister of the Italian opera at court. In 1736, he performed an opera seria for the first time in St. Petersburg: ''La forza dell'amore e dell'odio''. After a stopover in Italy, Araja returned to St. Petersburg in the fall of 1742. In 1755, he staged the first opera with a completely Russian libretto: ''Tsefal i Prokris'' by A. P. Sumarokov. This opera remained in the repertoire until the end of the 18th century and is considered the first national opera. The singers were also Russian for the first time. Araja spent the years from 1759 to 1761 in Italy.
At the beginning of January 1762, Peter III called him back and Araja wrote the music for the tsar's coronation. After the tsar's assassination in June 1762, he left Russia for good to settle in Bologna, presumably as a music teacher.
Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Araja
