Orlando Di Lasso

Orlando di Lasso was a jack of all trades in the late Renaissance, and a very prolific one. He composed motets, missas, lamentations, hymns, madrigals, chansons, german lieder, and many more. Moreover, he was already talented at a very young age. At the age of 12, he was sent from Belgium to Italy to start his musical career. Almost 15 years later, he traveled around Europe before settling in Munich, where he stayed for almost 40 years until his death. His enormous talent and work ethic ensured he quickly grew to fame, both in and outside of Germany - he even received the nickname 'le divin Orlande' (the divine Orlando). His social status increased fast as well, both with kings and emperors as with the pope, who had appointed him as knight.  In his music, Lassus was exceedingly versatile, both in his genres and in his compositional style. From his early, playful madrigals to his impressive Lagrime di San Pietro (written shortly before his death) and his sacred works: he was always in his element. It's no wonder that today he is considered as the one of the greatest composers of his age.