Jacopo da Fogliano

Jacopo da Fogliano
(b Modena, 1468; d Modena, 10 April 1548). Italian composer, brother of Lodovico Fogliano (according to Giacomo's letter to Pietro Aretino dated 7 May 1542).

In his Dialogo (Modena, 1483), Parente (Dialogo, Modena, 1483) described the young Giacomo as ‘very accomplished on both the keyboard [organ] and the pedal, a master of harpsichord playing, and more than accomplished on other instruments’. From 1479 to 1497 he was the organist at Modena Cathedral. His whereabouts from 1497 to 1504 are not known; Fusi cites a reference to ‘Giacomo di Salvatore, Piffaro dei Magnifici Signori’ in the city archives of Siena in 1498 and suggests that this is Fogliano. Petrucci published many of his vocal works, the earliest datable being a frottola of 1502. From 1504 until his death he was again the organist at Modena Cathedral, making a short trip to Parma in 1543 to test a new organ. His duties at Modena also included singing, teaching the choirboys, composing and teaching the organ. His most famous keyboard student was Jiulio Segni, whom he taught from 1512 to 1514 at the request of Cardinal Ippolito I d'Este. A memorial tablet to Fogliano laid by his daughter is in the cathedral.