John Dowland(1563-1626)

Not much is known about Dowland's childhood and life, but in 1580, he travelled to Paris, and became a servant to Sir Henry Cobham, the ambassador to French court; Dowland also served Cobham's successor Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham. He returned to England in 1584, and graduated with a Bachelor in Music from Christ Church at Oxford University in 1588. In 1594, Dowland left England, with the intent of studying under lute player Luca Marenzio in Rome. He first stayed in the employ of Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, but returned to England after his friend Henry Noel had promised him a job as a lute player, only to find that Noel had died shortly after writing to Dowland.

In 1597, Dowland published his First Booke of Songs or Ayres, a music book about lute compositions. In 1598, Dowland became the lute player for Christian IV of Denmark, during which he would travel back and forth between Denmark and London to publish his books on music: he published his Second Booke of Songs or Ayres in 1600, and his Third and Last Booke of Songs or Ayres in 1603. Dowland was relieved of his post due to financial difficulties, and he returned to England permanently in 1606, where he worked for Theophilus Hoard, Lord Walden. In October of 1612, Dowland became a lute player in the court of King James I, and held this position until his death in early 1626.