Antonio Squarcialupi

Antonio Squarcialupi (27 March 1416 – 6 July 1480) was an Italian organist and composer. He was the most famous organist in Italy in the mid-15th century. He was born in Florence to a butcher with the family name of Giovanni; however he took the name of Squarcialupi, a well-known family from Tuscany, by mid-century, possibly to disguise his less than aristocratic origins. Most of his early life must have been spent in Florence, and he likely studied with both organist Giovanni Mazzuoli (also called Jovannes de Florentia, who was a pupil of Francesco Landini), as well as Matteo di Pagolo da Prato. He acquired the post of organist at the Orsanmichele in Florence in 1431, but only remained there for two years, moving instead to the...