Background
Giorgio Miceli was a son of well-off parents, who participated in the Italian revolution of 1847. His father was sentenced to row in the galleys as punishment, and Giorgio was sent to Naples. He had begun to learn mandolin from his uncle when he was seven-years old, and in Naples, he continued to study music under Gallo and under Giuseppe Lillo at the Naples Conservatory.
His operetta Zoe, performed in 1852, was his first.
He was only 16.
Zoe was given in 40 performances, and he had a second opera the next year which performed similarly. His plays were banned by the Naples authorities and he became a teacher. He continued to play, entering musical competitions in Naples and Florence.
His work A Grand Serenade for Mandolin Band, done for the Maritime Exhibition in Naples did well, and he was knighted as a result in 1875.