Background
He was born around 1600, but it is unknown where.
He was born around 1600, but it is unknown where.
Not much is known about Kempis. Some musicologists think that he came from northern Italy, perhaps from Florence. He died in 1676. The earliest extant piece of biographical information about him is his nomination as organist of the cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudule in Brussels around 1626.
Between 1644 and 1649, he published in Antwerp several volumes of Symphoniae amounting to 98 short instrumental pieces and eight motets.
He wrote sonatas ranging from pieces for solo instrument and continuo to pieces in six parts. Nicolaus à Kempis was the first musician to import the Italian viol style and techniques of Girolamo Frescobaldi, Marco Uccellini, Giovanni Battista Fontana and Dario Castello in the southern Low Countries.