Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) was born in Italy and christened as Giovanni Battista Lulli. He was taken to France in his twenties where his musical talent blossomed. Lully was composer, music director, and family music director in the court of Louis XIV, the "Sun King." He became the director of the Académie royale de musique in Paris, thus exerting major influence upon French opera. He also composed in other genres, including ballet.