▁studying ▁singing , ▁c ello ▁and ▁piano , ▁and ▁joining ▁the ▁composition ▁class ▁soon ▁afterwards . ▁ ▁He ▁wrote ▁some ▁substantial ▁works ▁while ▁a ▁student , ▁including ▁a ▁mass ▁and ▁a ▁cant ata , ▁and ▁after ▁two ▁years ▁he ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁continue ▁his ▁studies . ▁He ▁decl ined ▁the ▁offer : ▁the ▁strict ▁academic ▁regime ▁of ▁the ▁L ice o ▁had ▁given ▁him ▁a ▁solid ▁compos itional ▁technique , ▁but ▁as ▁his ▁bi ograph er ▁Richard ▁Os bor ne ▁puts ▁it , ▁" his ▁instinct ▁to ▁continue ▁his ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁real ▁world ▁finally ▁assert ed ▁itself ". ▁ ▁While ▁still ▁at ▁the ▁L ice o , ▁Ross ini ▁had ▁performed ▁in ▁public ▁as ▁a ▁singer ▁and ▁worked ▁in ▁the at res ▁as ▁a ▁rép ét ite ur ▁and ▁keyboard ▁solo ist . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁at ▁the ▁request ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁ten or ▁D omen ico ▁M omb elli ▁he ▁wrote ▁his ▁first ▁oper atic ▁score , ▁a ▁two - act ▁oper atic ▁dram ma ▁ser io , ▁Dem et rio ▁e ▁Pol ib io , ▁to ▁a ▁libre tto ▁by ▁M omb elli ' s ▁wife . ▁It ▁was ▁public ly ▁st aged ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁after ▁the ▁composer ' s ▁first ▁success es . ▁ ▁Ross ini ▁and ▁his ▁parents ▁concluded ▁that ▁his ▁future ▁lay ▁in ▁compos ing ▁oper as . ▁The ▁main ▁oper atic ▁centre ▁in ▁north ▁eastern ▁Italy ▁was ▁Ven ice ; ▁under ▁the ▁tut el age ▁of ▁the ▁composer