Francesco Luigi Fanciulli was born in
Porto Santo Stefano. He learned
cornet at a young age and played in a local band. Displaying talent, he was sent to study at the
Florence Conservatory, where he obtained his diploma. At age twenty he became the first cornettist at the
Teatro della Pergola in Florence, and in 1875 he obtained a position in the orchestra of the
Politeama Fiorentino. He was also engaged as a conductor at the
Teatro Goldoni, at the Politeama, and at the Teatro Nazionale. In 1876 he emigrated to the United States to teach privately for a wealthy New York family. Arriving in New York on September 24, 1876, he also began working as an organist at St. Peter's Church in Brooklyn and as a teacher of piano and singing. He composed works for
Patrick Gilmore's band. Among his compositions was a piece transcribed from his first opera
The Voyage of Columbus that Gilmore described as "the most beautiful piece of descriptive music ever written." In 1892, Fanciulli's reputation increased when he succeeded
John Philip Sousa as head of the United States Marine Band. He was the fourth Italian-born director of the band, having been preceded by
Venerando Pulizzi (1816–17; 1818–1827), Joseph Lucchesi (1844–1846) and Francis M. Scala (1855–1871). Fanciulli led his first concert on January 20, 1893, and presided over the inauguration of
Grover Cleveland on March 4, 1893. For five seasons the Fanciulli's Concert Band continued its activity, holding concerts of great appeal in
Central Park. For the remaining years of his life Fanciulli continued to compose and conduct. He died in 1915 at the
German Hospital and Dispensary in New York after a serious illness. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. His papers and manuscripts are kept at the
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. ==Compositions==