Career
According to the preserved sources, Madelka published two music collections. The circumstances of his life remain unclear up to now. He may have come from Opole, as suggested by the cognomen Oppolensis, preserved in the collection of his music
The surname Madelka was also quite common both in Silesia and Opole.
He came to Western Bohemia probably in consequence of culmination of the reformation wave in Opole Region in the middle of 16th century. Madelka was a Catholic, and his religion may have been the main reason for his changing residences.
In 1575 he was entered to the register of the butcher"s guild in Plzeň, and in 1580 became a master butcher. He died probably during the epidemic of a plague, which killed 1300 - 1600 citizens of Plzeň in 1598.
His name appear in the manuscripts exclusively as Šimon Bariona, the other variants of his name (Bar Jona, Madelka) figure only in his printed music
He is mentioned in various musical sources together with other European composers, such as Clemens non Papa, Jacobus Vaet, Thomas Crecquillon, Michael de Buissons and Orlando Lasso. In the Czechoslovakian musical context, he was the contemporary of Jacobus Handl Gallus, January Simonides Montanus, Pavel Spongopaeus Jistebnický, Ondřej Chrysoponus Jevíčský, January Traján Turnovský and others The list of his compositions number thirty five sacral works, but only one of them remained well-preserved - the collection of Seven Penitential Psalms, published in 1586 by German printer Nicholas Knorr in Altdorf bei Nürnberg.
His second published composition, printed by Jiří Nigrin in Prague, as well as the rest of his output, is preserved only in fragments.
His first printed composition,, was published in Prague in 1578. lieutenant was dedicated to the Abbot of Teplá, January Mauskönig.
The second printed edition, the Seven Penitential Psalms, was dedicated to the Provost of the Chotěšov monastery, Albert Jordán of Mohelnice.