Josquin des Prez was one of the most important composers of the European Renaissance and a leading figure of the Franco-Flemish musical school. He was born around 1450, probably in northern France, at a time when music was closely connected with the Church and the courts of rulers. Little is known with certainty about his early life. He probably began as a choirboy, one of the main paths through which a child, particularly from a poor or middle-class family, could receive a musical education. Churches and monasteries were then among the most important places where a child could learn music, as well as reading and writing. It is not known with certainty, however, whether Josquin actually followed this path. As a professional musician, he travelled to important centres throughout Europe. He lived and worked in Milan, Rome and Ferrara, serving courts, cardinals and the papal choir. In Rome he became a member of the choir of the Sistine Chapel, and his name can still be found carved into the wooden choir stalls. The life of a musician in those days was closely dependent on the patronage of powerful people; journeys were made by horse or carriage and could take weeks. His music is characterised by elaborate polyphony, counterpoint and a remarkable sensitivity to the relationship between words and music. He composed masses, motets and secular songs.
Among his most important works is Ave Maria… virgo serena, one of the best-known motets of the Renaissance. His fame spread even further with the new technology of music printing, which allowed his works to circulate throughout Europe. He was among the first composers whose name became widely known through printed musical editions. Around 1504, he settled in Condé-sur-l’Escaut, where he became provost of the collegiate church and spent the final years of his life in greater stability. He died there on 27 August 1521.