Milan, Luis Biography - A Very Quick Guide

Spanish Renaissance composer, vihuelist and writer Luis Milán was active in Valencia during the first half of the 16th century. Little is known about his early life, but he served at the court of the Valencian nobility and was associated with the cultural circles surrounding the Duke of Calabria.

Milán is best known for his 1536 publication El Maestro, the earliest known printed collection of music for the vihuela, a Spanish plucked-string instrument related to the lute. The book includes fantasias, pavans, villancicos and romances, along with detailed performance instructions. Milán’s surviving output is modest but historically significant, representing a major early source for Spanish instrumental and vocal repertoire.