1561 in music

Events

• Rodrigo de Ceballos succeeds Bernardino de Figueroa as maestro de capilla at the Royal Chapel of Granada.

Publications

• Il terzo libro della muse, a collection of secular music

Classical music

• Jacquet de Berchem - Caprices

Births

• January 24 - Camillo Cortellini, Italian composer, singer, and violinist (died 1630)
• July 17 - Jacopo Corsi, Italian composer and patron of the arts (died 1602)
• August - Sebastian Aguilera de Heredia, Spanish monk, organist and composer (died 1627)
• August 20 – Jacopo Peri, Italian singer and composer of early opera (died 1633)
• date unknown - Juan Blas de Castro, Spanish singer, musician, and composer (died 1631)
• probable
  • Elias Mertel, German lutenist, composer and intabulator (died 1626)
  • Peter Philips (c.1560/1561), eminent English composer, organist, and Catholic priest (died 1628), the most published English composer in his time
  • Philippe Rogier, Franco-Flemish composer at the Spanish court (died 1596)

Deaths

• February 15 - Cornelius Canis, Franco-Flemish composer, singer, and choir director (born c.1500/1510)
• date unknown - Jan Nasco, Franco-Flemish composer and writer on music (born c.1510)
• probable
  • Loys Bourgeois, French composer, famous for his Protestant hymn tunes (born c.1510)
  • Ippolito Ciera, Italian composer
  • Luis de Milán, Spanish Renaissance composer, vihuelist and writer on music (born c.1500)
  • Hendrik Niehoff, Dutch pipe organ builder (born 1495)