Johannes Ciconia

Johannes Ciconia (circa 1335 or circa 1373 - 1414) was a composer. He has possibly been conflated with his father of the same name in some biographical accounts, hence the uncertainty over his date of birth. All the composer's works are believed to date from later than about 1390.

Ciconia was born in Liège. He settled in Italy, working in Padua towards the end of his life and dying there.

Ciconia's music shows a mingling of styles. Music typical of northern Italy is combined with the French ars nova (and the more complex ars subtilior), and the late Medieval style begins to morph into writing which points towards the Renaissance. He wrote music both secular (French virelais, Italian ballate and madrigals) and sacred (motets, mass movements, some of them isorhythmic), and also penned treatises on music. It is possible that some works have been misattributed to him.