The son of Alessandro Scarlatti, who created a new school of opera in Naples, Domenico Scarlatti is particularly distinguished for his remarkable keyboard sonatas, of which some 555 are known. This significant addition to early 18th century keyboard repertoire was written for performance on the various keyboard instruments of the Spanish court, where he was employed for many years, and in all its variety has long provided a valuable repertoire for pianists. Chinese pianist Duanduan Hao won First Prize in the 2009 Shanghai International Piano Competition.
