Alexander Agricola 1446 – 1506

Biography

Alexander Agricola was born on January 1, 1446, in Ghent, during a period of remarkable artistic flourishing in the Low Countries. He would become one of the most accomplished composers of his era, contributing significantly to the development of Renaissance music during a time when the Netherlandish school of composition was gaining international prominence.

Throughout his life, Agricola devoted himself to the art of musical composition, establishing himself as a respected figure in the musical world of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. His work reflected the sophisticated polyphonic traditions of his homeland, and his compositions were valued across Europe during his lifetime.

In 1506, Agricola’s life was cut short when he fell victim to plague while in Valladolid, Spain, on August 15th. He was sixty years old. Though his final resting place has not been recorded in history, his musical legacy endured far beyond his lifetime, and his contributions to Renaissance composition remained influential for generations of musicians who followed.