Rodrigo de Ceballos succeeds Bernardino de Figueroa as maestro de capilla at the Royal Chapel of Granada.
Il terzo libro della muse, a collection of secular music
Jacquet de Berchem - Caprices
January 24 - Camillo Cortellini, Italian composer, singer, and violinist (died 1630)
July 17 - Jacopo Corsi, Italian composer and patron of the arts (died 1602)
August - Sebastian Aguilera de Heredia, Spanish monk, organist and composer (died 1627)
August 20 – Jacopo Peri, Italian singer and composer of early opera (died 1633)
date unknown - Juan Blas de Castro, Spanish singer, musician, and composer (died 1631)
probable
Elias Mertel, German lutenist, composer and intabulator (died 1626)
Peter Philips (c.1560/1561), eminent English composer, organist, and Catholic priest (died 1628), the most published English composer in his time
Philippe Rogier, Franco-Flemish composer at the Spanish court (died 1596)
February 15 - Cornelius Canis, Franco-Flemish composer, singer, and choir director (born c.1500/1510)
date unknown - Jan Nasco, Franco-Flemish composer and writer on music (born c.1510)
probable
Loys Bourgeois, French composer, famous for his Protestant hymn tunes (born c.1510)
Ippolito Ciera, Italian composer
Luis de Milán, Spanish Renaissance composer, vihuelist and writer on music (born c.1500)
Hendrik Niehoff, Dutch pipe organ builder (born 1495)
1561 in music Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
