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Antonio Caldara was the son of a violinist born in 1670 or 1671 in Venice (exact date unknown). He became a member of the choir at Saint Mark's in Venice, where he learned how to play several instruments. It is thought that he learned to play these instruments from Giovanni Legrenzi. In 1699 he moved to Mantua, where he became maestro di cappella to Charles IV, Duke of Mantua. He was a pensionary of France with a French wife, who took the French side in the War of the Spanish Succession. Caldara removed from Mantua in 1707, after the French were expelled from Italy, then moved on to Barcelona as chamber composer toCharles VI of Austria, the pretender to the Spanish throne who kept a royal court at Barcelona. There, he wrote some operas that are the first Italian operas performed at Spain. He moved on to Rome, becoming maestro di cappella to Francesco Maria Marescotti Ruspoli, 1st Prince of Cerveteri. While there he wrote "La constanza in amor vince l'inganno" (Faithfulness in Love Defeats Treachery) for the public theatre at Macerata. In 1716, he obtained a similar post inVienna to serve the Imperial Court, and there he remained until his death.

Caldara is best known as a composer of operas, cantatas and oratorios. Several of his works have libretti by Metastasio.