1561 in music

List of years in music (table)
... 1551 ^. 1552 ^. 1553 ^. 1554 ^. 1555 ^. 1556 ^. 1557 ... 1558 1559 1560 -1561- 1562 1563 1564 ... 1565 ^. 1566 ^. 1567 ^. 1568 ^. 1569 ^. 1570 ^. 1571 ...

Art ^. Archaeology ^. Architecture ^. Literature ^. Music ^. Philosophy ^. Science +...

Events

Rodrigo de Ceballos succeeds Bernardino de Figueroa as maestro de capilla at the Royal Chapel of Granada.

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 16 - 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)