Although the Italian composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi only reached the age of 26, he left a remarkable oeuvre in his short career which is now to be discovered. His operas continue to enjoy great success in numerous performances at the Pergolesi Festival in Jesi. Pergolesi already began composing at 21 years, shortly after concluding his studies. In 1731 he was commissioned by the Teatro di San Bartolomeo to compose his debut opera “La Salustia”. The comic opera “Lo frate ’nnamorato” from 1732 was his entry ticket to the Royal Chapel in Naples that constantly was in search of creative, modern artists. Young Pergolesi met the expectations with his composition and achieved a considerable early success. Pergolesi’s tragic opera “Il prigionier superbo” and the corresponding but antithetic intermezzo “La serva padrona” premiered on the occasion of the anniversary of the Austrian empress Elisabeth Christine on 28 August 1733 in Naples. Pergolesi composed the opera “Adriano in Siria” for the anniversary of the Spanish queen in 1734 and wrote the main role considering the requests of the celebrated castrato Caffarelli who thereby achieved a great success. With “L’Olimpiade” the famous poet Metastasio created one of the most popular libretti of the 18th century which was set to music by over 60 renowned composers. Pergolesi’s version from 1735 was one of the earliest adaptations. With his comic opera “Il Flaminio”, successfully premiered in 1735 at the Teatro Nuovo di Napoli, the young composer follows the Neapolitan school of early opera buffa.