Italian composer, writer and librettist.

He studied at and graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Milan. In 1861 he won a bursary to study in Paris, and there he met important figures in the literary and musical world such as Victor Hugo, Hector Berlioz, Gioacchino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi. While in the French capital he conceived the idea of writing operas on the subjects of Faust and Nero. After travelling in other European countries (France, Belgium, Germany, England, and Poland), he returned to live in Milan. There he collaborated with several newspapers as literary critic, joined the Scapigliatura group and wrote the libretto of Mefistofele, inspired by Goethe's Faust. The opera was performed at the Scala in 1868, but was coldly received by both the public and the critics, who accused Boito of imitating Wagner. Boito began a lengthy rewriting process, and the opera was presented in 1875 in Bologna, this time with success. Besides the librettos for his own operas, Boito wrote Amleto (1865) for Franco Faccio, La Falce for Alfredo Catalani, and, under the anagram-pseudonym of Tobia Gorrio, La Gioconda for Amilcare Ponchielli, first performed in 1876.

In 1879, the publisher Giulio Ricordi suggested to Giuseppe Verdi to collaborate with Boito for the composition of an opera based on Shakespeare's tragedy Othello. Boito had already worked with Verdi, writing for him the text for the Hymn to the Nations and later working on the revision of the libretto for Simon Boccanegra (1881).

Among Boito's literary works, the Libro dei Versi, L'alfier nero and Re Orso are worthy of mention.

In 1881 he began his collaboration with Verdi, first with the revision of Simon Boccanegra, and later with the librettos for Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893).

In 1924, his unfinished opera Nerone was performed posthumously at the Scala Theatre in Milan.

From 1887 to 1898 Boito was sentimentally attached to the actress Eleonora Duse, for whom he translated Anthony and Cleopatra, Macbeth and part of Romeo and Juliet.