Juan de Urrede

Juan de Urrede (also Juan de Urreda, born c.1430 in Bruges as Johannes de Wreede , died after 1482 in Salamanca) was a Flemish singer and composer active in Spain in the service of the Duke of Alba, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Life His father was Rolandus de Wreede, organist at St Donatian. He was refused a clerkship at the same cathedral because a father and son were not allowed to work in the same institution. He served as a clerk at the church of Our Lady in Bruges from 1457 to 1460, when his name disappears from the record. It is believed that he left for Spain at this time. His name reappears in 1476, when he was paid in the service of the Duke of Alba’s household. On 17 June 1477 he became a singer and maestro de capilla at the Aragonese royal chapel. During his service at the chapel, he applied for the Salamanca University professorship and petitioned for a change to their system of electing professors, but his requests and application were denied. Urrede’s name vanishes after 1482 and it is not known if this is when he died, as the house records for the following years are lost. Music His compositions are unique in that they blend Flemish traditions with new Spanish