1551 in music

Events

• Pope Julius III brings his protégé Palestrina to Rome as maestro di cappella of the Cappella Giulia at St. Peter's Basilica.
• Famous confrontation between Nicola Vicentino and Vicente Lusitano about Greek diatonic, chromatic and enharmonic genera.

Publications

• Constanzo Festa – First book of madrigals a3, published posthumously

Sacred music

• Johann Walter – Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ

Births

• October 8 – Giulio Caccini, Italian composer (died 1618)
• probable – Benedetto Pallavicino, Italian organist and composer (died 1601)

Deaths

• date unknown – Albert de Rippe, Italian lutenist and composer (born c.1500)