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200 BCE
Epitaph of Seikilos
The oldest known piece of Western music, engraved on a tombstone in ancient Greece. -
500
Gregorian chant
Monophonic sacred music of the Catholic Church, with Latin text and no instrumental accompaniment -
991
Guido d'Arezzo
Italian music theorist who developed the modern system of musical notation and the hexachord. -
1098
Hidelgard von Bingen
German abbess, mystic, and composer known for her visionary music, which is highly expressive and innovative. -
1135
Bernart de Ventadorn
French troubadour, famous for his lyric poetry and songs about courtly love. -
1135
Leonin
Composer and theorist, known for his role in the development of early polyphony during the Ars Antiqua period. -
Period: 1150 to 1300
Ars Antiqua
A musical period characterized by the use of early polyphony, with composers like Léonin and Perotin leading the way. -
1160
Perotin
French composer, famous for developing complex polyphony and contributing to the Notre Dame school of music. -
Nov 23, 1221
Alfonso X the Wise
King of León and Castile, notable for his promotion of arts, music, and literature, including the Cantigas de Santa María. -
1300
Guillaume de Machaut
French composer and poet, a key figure of the Ars Nova period, known for his polyphonic masses and motets. -
Period: 1300 to 1400
Ars Nova
A more complex and rhythmically innovative period than Ars Antiqua, marking the transition to more complex polyphonic music. -
1335
Francesco Landini
Italian composer and organist, famous for his ballatas and influence on late medieval music. -
Feb 3, 1468
Johannes Gutenberg
Inventor of the printing press, which revolutionized the spread of music and other texts across Europe. -
Jul 12, 1468
Juan del Encina
Spanish composer and playwright, a pioneering figure in the development of early Renaissance music in Spain. -
Nov 10, 1483
Martin Luther
Theologian who sparked the Protestant Reformation, influencing the development of Protestant church music and hymns. -
1500
Cristóbal de Morales
Spanish composer, known for his polyphonic sacred music, particularly masses and motets. -
Mar 30, 1510
Antonio de Cabezón
Spanish composer and organist, known for his contributions to Renaissance keyboard music. -
1533
Andrea Gabrieli
Italian composer and organist, known for his Venetian polychoral music. -
1544
Maddalena Casulana
Italian composer, one of the first women to have her music published during the Renaissance. -
1548
Tomás Luis de Victoria
Spanish composer, considered one of the most important figures in Renaissance choral music. -
1554
Giovanni Gabrieli
Italian composer, instrumental in developing the polychoral style in Venice and popularizing the use of multiple choirs. -
Mar 30, 1566
Carlo Gesualdo
Italian composer known for his intense, chromatic madrigals that pushed the boundaries of harmony and expression. -
1567
Claudio Monteverdi
Italian composer, a key figure in the development of opera and the transition from Renaissance to Baroque music. -
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Italian composer whose sacred music became a model for the Catholic Church, particularly his Masses and motets. -
Orlando di Lasso
Franco-Flemish composer known for his polyphonic choral music, influential in both secular and sacred music. -
Giacomo Carissimi
Italian composer, known for his development of the oratorio form and his influence on Baroque sacred music. -
Barbara Strozzi
Italian composer and singer, one of the most productive composers of vocal music in the Baroque period. -
Stradivarius
Italian luthier, best known for creating some of the finest violins and string instruments in history. -
Antonio Vivaldi
Italian composer, widely known for his concertos, especially The Four Seasons, and his contributions to Baroque violin music. -
George Philipp Telemann
German composer and multi-instrumentalist, one of the most prolific composers of the Baroque period. -
Georg Friedrich Händel
German-born composer who became a leading figure in British music, famous for his oratorio Messiah. -
Johann Sebastian Bach
German composer and musician, one of the most influential figures in Western classical music, known for his intricate fugues, cantatas, and orchestral works. -
Henry Purcell
English composer, famous for his operas, such as Dido and Aeneas, and contributions to English sacred music.