I don't claim that Polish early music played any crucial part in history of European music. We neither had Josquin des Prez or Palestrina, nor had we Scarlatti or Bach. However, there were a few interesting composers in Poland in the earlier centuries as well. AAnd since they are almost totally unknown outside of Poland, it seemed like a good idea to put a WWW page together with more information about them. I'm no musicologist and serious researchers won't find too many relevant references here . The purpose of this web page is to satisfy the curiosity of the rest of my visitors.

Note: Many of the composers are identified by their names and cities of origin, so that, for example, Mikołaj z Lublina means Nicolaus from Lublin (or: of Lublin)

• Valentinus Bakfark (+ 1576)

• Cyprian Bazylik (ca.1535 - past 1600)

• Krzysztof Borek (+ ca. 1570)

• Jan Brandt (1554 - 1602)

• Diomedes Cato (ca. 1570 - past 1603)
  Venetian by birth, appointed lutenist to the Court of Polish king Sigismundus III Vasa.

• Mikołaj z Chrzanowa (ca.1485 - ca.1560)

• Andrzej Chyliński (17th c.)

• Wojciech Długoraj (ca. 1557 - ca. 1619)

• Jan Fabrycy (ca. 1615 - ca. 1655)

• Sebastian z Felsztyna (1485 - 1543)

• Walentyn Gawara Gutek

• Ładysław z Gielniowa - MIDI example (Żołtarz Jezusow)

• Mikołaj Gomółka (1535 - 1591)
  His only published musical work was Melodie na Psałterz polski - a complete work of settings for all 150 of the psalms. And they are all here in MIDI format!

• Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (1667 - 1734)
  

• Jan Aleksander Gorczyn

• Piotr z Grudziądza

• Adam Jarzębski (ca. 1590 - ca. 1648)

• Krzysztof Klabon

• Seweryn Koń (2nd half of the 16th c.)

• Mikołaj z Krakowa (ca.1500 - ca.1550) MIDI example (Preambulum in F)

• Marcin Leopolita (1530 - 1589)

• Jerzy Liban z Legnicy (1464-1546) - MIDI example (Ortus de Polonia)

• The Lilius family including Franciszek Lilius (ca.1600 - 1657)

• Jan z Lublina

• Marcin Mielczewski (+1651)

• Asprilio Pacelli

• Marcin Paligon

• Andrzej Paszkiewicz (17th c.)

• Antonio Patard (ca. 1560 - 1605)

• Bartłomiej Pękiel (+1670)

• Jakub Polak (1545 - 1605) - MIDI example (Praeludium)

• Mikołaj z Radomia (ca.1400 - ca.1450)
  

• Andrzej Rohaczewski - MIDI example (Crucifixus surrexit)

• Jacek Różycki (ca. 1630 - 1704)

• Jakub Sowa vel Sówka (? - 1593) - MIDI example (Salve Regina)

• Tomasz Szadek (1550 - 1611) - MIDI example (Kyrie from Missa In melodiam moteti Pisneme)

• Stanisław Sylwester Szarzyński - MIDI example (Cum invocarem from Completorium)

• Wacław z Szamotuł (ca. 1520 - ca. 1560)
  "If the Gods had let him live longer, the Poles would have no need to envy the Italians their Palestrina, Lappi and Vadana" - wrote Szymon Starowolski, the author of his first concise biography.

• Marcin Wartecki (2nd half of the 16th c.)

• Mikołaj Zieleński (ca. 1550 - 1616)