Piero Strozzi (composer)

Piero Strozzi (1550 – before 1609) was an Italian composer and nobleman of the Florentine Strozzi family, a family prominent in banking and politics in Florence since the 14th century. He was the son of Leone Strozzi, a prominent military figure and opponent of the Medici, and thus grandson of Filippo Strozzi the Younger.

While details of his musical training are scant, Strozzi is known to have composed madrigals. He published two books of five-voice madrigals, Il primo libro de madrigali a cinque voci (Venice, 1575) and Il secondo libro de madrigali a cinque voci (Venice, 1579). His madrigals are generally in a late Renaissance style, showcasing counterpoint and careful text setting typical of the period. His compositions were included in anthologies of the time, further evidence of his recognition amongst his contemporaries.

Beyond his musical activities, Strozzi participated in the military campaigns of the period, including serving in Flanders in the 1570s. The precise details of his later life and death are not well-documented, but it is believed he died before 1609.