Italian composer. He is known as a successful opera composer of the Neapolitan School in the late 18th century. His operatic output exceeds 80 works. Among them, L'amor contrastato, ossia La molinara (The Miller's Daughter) (1788) is particularly notable, as Beethoven composed variations for solo piano based on a theme from this opera.

He studied at the Conservatorio di Sant'Onofrio in Naples. His successive opera buffa productions caught the attention of Empress Catherine II of Russia, leading to his appointment as director of the court theater in St. Petersburg. After returning to Naples, he served as Maestro di Cappella (Court Chamber Music Director), but was then invited by Napoleon Bonaparte to become Maître de Chapelle (Chapel Master) in Paris. When Napoleon's brother, Joseph, became King of Naples, Paisiello was appointed his Court Music Director and also served as director of the music school Joseph established in Naples. In his later years, he lost all his positions with the downfall of Napoleon.