Palestrina composer biography kids

Giovanni da Palestrina (born Palestrina, (c.1525 – February 2, 1594 in Rome) was a very important Italiancomposer of church music of his time.

He lived in the period called the Renaissance.

Palestrina composer biography kids

Most of his music was choral (written for choirs). It is very polyphonic. This means that the different voices (sopranos, altos, tenors or basses) are often singing different words and different parts of the tune at the same time.

Many composers since have studied the way that Palestrina wrote, because this is an excellent way to learn to write contrapuntal music.

Palestrina took his name from the town where he was born. We are not sure of the exact date of his birth.

Palestrina composer biography kids video

Any records of his birth were destroyed when the town burned in 1577. He was probably a choirboy in Palestrina. When he was grown up he got a job as organist and choir director at the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. He was not earning much money,