Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Italian composer of the Renaissance (born in Palestrina, near Rome, between February 3 1525 and February 2 1526; died in Rome, February 2, 1594), the most famous 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition.
Palestrina had a vast influence on the development of Roman Catholic church music, and his work can be seen as a summation of Renaissance polyphony. He left hundreds of compositions, including 104 masses, 68 offertories, more than 300 motets, at least 72 hymns, 35 magnificats, 11 litanies, 4 or 5 sets of lamentations etc., at least 140 madrigals and 9 organ ricercari.