Events

• January 1 – Ippolito Chamaterò is appointed maestro di cappella of the Accademia Filarmonica of Verona.^[1]
• January 18 – The Council of Trent begins a new session, in the course of which it considers decrees relating to sacred music.^{[citation needed]}
• Cristofano Malvezzi enters the service of the Medici in Florence.^{[citation needed]}
• Alfonso Ferrabosco the elder arrives in England and is employed at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England.^{[citation needed]}
• Rinaldo del Mel begins his musical studies at the Cathedral of St. Rombaut.^{[citation needed]}

Publications

• Pietro Aron – Thoscanello de la musica, fourth edition
• Claude Goudimel – Fifth book of psalms for four and five voices (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard)
• Jacobus de Kerle
  • Preces Speciales Pro Salubri Generalis Concilii Successu (Special Prayers for the Health and Success of the General Council) for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano), setting of texts by Pedro de Soto for the Council of Trent
  • First book of six masses for four and five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
• Orlande de Lassus – Sacrae cantiones for five voices (Nuremberg: Johann vom Berg & Ulrich Neuber)
• Philippe de Monte – First book of madrigal for four voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano)

Classical music

Births

• January 20 – Ottavio Rinuccini, Italian librettist (d. 1621)
• April/May – Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Dutch organist and composer (d. 1621)
• John Milton, English amateur composer (d. 1647)
• probable – John Bull, English composer and organ builder (d. 1628)

Deaths

• February 15 – Cornelius Canis, Flemish composer (b. c. 1500–1510)
• October 13 – Claudin de Sermisy, French composer (b. c. 1490)
• December 7 – Adrian Willaert, Flemish composer (b. c. 1490)
• probable – Perissone Cambio, Franco-Flemish composer and singer (b. c. 1520)