Philippus de Monte

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Philippus de Monte (1521 – July 4, 1603) was a Flemish composer of the late Renaissance, and was a member of the 3rd generation madrigalists. He was born in Mechelen. After boyhood musical training in St. Rumbolds Cathedral in Mechelen, where he was a choirboy, Monte went to Italy — a common destination for a young Flemish composer in the sixteenth century — where he made a name for himself as a composer, singer, and teacher. He lived and worked in Naples for a while, and in Rome, in the employ of Cardinal Orsini, although he was in England for a brief period, 1554-1555, during the reign of Queen Mary I, while she was married to King Philip II of Spain. Some of Monte's accomplishments include singing for the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Fernando de'Medici, and in 1568 Monte was appointed as successor to Jacobus Vaet as Kapellmeister to the chapel of Maximilian II. A majority of his music was published in Venice under the direction of Gardano, Monte's exclusive publisher in Italy. He wanted to utilize Italian publishers in order to stay close to the home of the madrigal. He was successful at recruiting new musicians to the chapel, for Lassus himself noted the astonishing quality of music-making in Vienna just two years after Monte became leader there. During his first ten years at the Imperial Court, Monte served as an active teacher. Monte worked for the remainder of his long life in Habsburg courts both in Vienna and Prague. Even though his accomplishments were many, he is

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