PRÉS, Josquin des

Josquin des Prez was a French composer of the Renaissance. His original name is sometimes given as Josquin Lebloitte and his later name is given under a wide variety of spellings in French, Italian, and Latin, including Iosquinus Pratensis and Iodocus a Prato. His motet Illibata Dei virgo nutrix includes an acrostic of his name, where he spelled it "Josquin des Prez".He was the most famous European composer between Guillaume Dufay and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.