1586 in music
Publications
- Lodovico Agostini – Le lagrime del peccatore, fourth book for six voices, Op. 12
- Felice Anerio – First book of canzonettas for four voices
- Giammateo Asola
- *Psalms, also includes a Te Deum
- *Missae octonis compositae tonis for four voices
- *Officium defunctorum for four voices
- Lodovico Balbi – Cappriccios for six voices
- Giulio Belli – First book of masses for five voices
- Camillo Cortellini – Third book of madrigals for five voices
- Jacobus Gallus – Opus musicum, volume 1.
- Ruggiero Giovannelli – First book of madrigals for five voices
- Marc'Antonio Ingegneri
- *First book of motets for four voices
- *First book of madrigals for six voices
- Simon Bar Jona Madelka – Seven Penitential Psalms for five voices
- Jacques Mauduit – Chansonnettes mesurées de Jan-Antoine de Baïf for four voices
- Rinaldo del Mel – Second book of madrigaletti for three voices
- Philippe de Monte – Eleventh book of madrigals for five voices
- Giovanni Maria Nanino
- *Motets for three and five voices
- *Third book of madrigals for five voices
- Lucas Osiander the Elder – Fünfftzig Geistliche Lieder und Psalmen for four voices
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina – Second book of madrigals for four voices
- Nicola Parma – Sacrae cantiones..., book two
- Costanzo Porta – Fourth book of madrigals for five voices
- Giaches de Wert – Eighth book of madrigals for five voices
Compositions
- Anthony Holborne – ''The Countess of Pembroke's Funerals''
Births
- January 20 – Johann Hermann Schein, German composer
- July 1 – Claudio Saracini, lutenist, singer and composer
- Andrea Falconieri, composer
Deaths
- August 27 – George de La Hèle, Franco-Flemish composer
- November – Bernardino de Figueroa, composer