Pedro
de Escobar
Pedro de Escobar (1465?-1535?), also known as Pedro do Porto, was a Portuguese composer of the Renaissance, mostly active in Spain. He was one of the earliest and most skilled composers of polyphony in the Iberian Peninsula whose music has survived. He was born at Oporto, Portugal, but nothing is known of his life until he entered the service of Isabella I of Castile in 1489. His surname is of Castilian origin, and maybe he was born to Castilian immigrants, or descendants, but castilians regarded him as Portuguese. He was a singer in the Catholic Queen's chapel for ten years, and clearly was working as a composer as well; in addition he was the only member of her chapel described in court records as Portuguese. In 1499 he returned to his native Portugal, but in 1507 received an offer of employment, which he accepted, as chapel master at the cathedral of Seville. In 1521 he was working in Portugal, for prince Dom Afonso, son of Manuel I of Portugal.
