born Oct. 26, 1564, Nürnberg
died June 8, 1612, Frankfurt am Main
German composer and organist.
Born into a family of organists, he studied with Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli in Venice. He served as chamber organist to the Fugger family of Augsburg (1586 0441; 1600). His compositions became widely known and were granted copyright protection by the emperor in 1591. A Protestant, he eventually left Catholic Augsburg to take posts in Nürnberg, Ulm, and Dresden. He is best known for his sacred Latin choral music, including masses, psalms, and motets, but he also composed Italian madrigals, German part-songs (several became Protestant hymns), and instrumental music.