He was taught music at a young age by his father, who was a professional bass player. Also, he was taught by the Abbé Vannucci, chapel-master to the Archbishop.

Boccherini proved to be an extremely skilled pupil, and in 1757 he was sent to Roma to perfect his technique under expert instruction.

He returned to Lucca as a professional musician of the highest order, and he joined the town theatre orchestra as violoncellist.

At the same time, he introduced himself to his fellow citizens as a composer by giving a special concert - with the cooperation of Filippo Manfredi, the violinist - devoted entirely to his own sonatas.

The success of this concert was so great that the two decided to tour the principle cities of France.

Their reception at all their destinations surpassed their wildest expectations, including Paris, which they reached in 1768.

The fame of the two had become so large that the Ambassador of España in Paris invited them to come to Madrid.

They were disappointed by this tour because their reception was not half so welcoming as they had anticipated, and royal patronage, which had been promised to them, was not forthcoming.
For Boccherini, however, there were consolations.

The Emperor of Prussia was impressed with his abilities both as virtuoso and composer, and engaged him as a chamber-composer at a generous annual salary.

For several years, Boccherini held this position, enjoying during this period of comfort and high esteem.
With the death of his royal benefactor, however, Boccherini was compelled to seek employment elsewhere, and he decided to return to España.

For a long period he lived in Madrid, in obscurity and want.

He lived, together with his family, in a dreary backroom where his only escape from squalor and darkness was in the production of music.

He had few friends, and ill-health necessitated his complete retirement from his violincello playing.
For a brief span he knew some recess from poverty when Lucien Buonaparte, ambassador of the République Français in Madrid, an admirer of Boccherini's music, commissioned him to compose some chamber-music.

However, this was only a fleeting respite from want.

The last years of Boccherini's life were spent in appalling poverty, which he tried to alleviate by doing hack-work, such as arrangements of his own works for the guitar at the request of some rich patrons.

His misery was further increased by the death of his two sons.
Luigi Boccherini died in Madrid on 28 May 1805, and he passed on virtually unnoticed.

While few of Boccherini's compositions are performed today (with the notable exception of the famous minuet from his String Quintet in E major, Opus 13 n.5), his name is very important in musical development.

He definitely established the string-quartet form, in which he composed more than a hundred works.

If he did not possess the strength and character of Haydn, he certainly possessed melodic invention and a charming poise to almost a degree as his celebrated contemporary.

Boccherini is the first great perfecter in modern music.

Everything for which his predecessors worked, singly and labouriously, was garnered and absorbed by him.

Sammartini's beginning, Stamitz' s radicalism, Pugnani' s tentative efforts and Beck's inspiration - all these had their experimental value for Boccherini, and the achievements of all these hot-bloods of the new art are at last justified and brought to fulfillment.