Claudio Monteverdi

Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi was an Italian composer, string musician, choirmaster, and clergyman who lived from 15 May 1567 to 29 November 1643. Monteverdi, an Italian late-Renaissance and early-Baroque composer and instrumentalist was the father of the operatic genre as we know it today, having written nine books of madrigals.

L'Orfeo, his opera written in 1607, ushered in a new era of opera, including a wider range of emotions, showcasing massive staging, and pedaling fascinating plotlines. He is today recognized as a major influence in European musical history as well as a composer whose work is frequently performed and recorded.

Aged: 76 (1567-1643)
Nationality: Italian
Some of best-known compositions: L’Orfeo; Combattimento di Tancredi et Clorinda; Proserpina rapita; L’incoronazione di Poppea,…