Below is a list of composers who were, or almost certainly were, Jewish, or had Jewish relatives. Many remained deeply involved in their religious communities, but inevitably, many, such as the Bassano family, were required to give up their religion in order to be accepted. However, that we know them as Jewish today is testament to some level of religious involvement, since there must be many more composers of Jewish origin whose background was lost due to their level of assimilation.


SURNAMEFORENAME
DATES
WHERE
NOTES
Bassano
Giovanni
c.1560/61-c.1617
Venice
Director of St. Mark's, Venice; renowned as instrumentalist.
Bassano
Jeronimo
1559-1635
London, UK
Cousin of Giovanni Bassano.
Blochwitz
Johann Martin
1687-1742
Dresden
Flautist at the Dresden court; author of numerous instrumental works.
Bolaffi
Michele
1768-1842
Livorno, Italy
Most distinguished Jewish composer active in Livorno during the first half of the 19th century.
Casseres (Caceres)
Abraham
fl. early 18th century
Amsterdam
Of Portuguese origin; well-known composer of the Sephardi community in Amsterdam. First mention in 1718.
da Civita
Davit
fl. early 17th century
Italy (?Mantua)
17 Italian pieces in collection from 1616
Drei
Francesco
fl. 18th century
Italy
Music for the inauguration of a synagogue  in Siena written by Drei and Gallachi in 1786.
Gallachi
Volunio
fl. 18th century
Italy
As above
haGer
Obadiah
fl. early 12th century
Italy/Egypt
Born Johannes de Oppido, convert to Judaism ('Obadiah the Proselyte'); responsible for earliest source of Jewish music in Cairo Genizah.
le Juif
Mahieu
13th century
France
French trouvère. Although only 2 works survive, both deal with the problems of giving up his Jewish religion to serve his mistress.
Lanier
Nicolas
1588-1666
London, UK
Married to Emilia Bassano, granddaughter of Jeronimo Bassano
Massarano
Isacchino
fl.1580-1608
Mantua, Italy
Known best as a dancing master; is known to have collaborated with Salamone Rossi
(de) Milan
Luys
1500-after 1561
Valencia, Spain
Best known as author of first printed vihuela music: Libro de musica de vihuela de mano intitulado El maestro (1536).
Modena
Rabbi (Leon)
Yehudah Aryeh
1571-1648
Venice, Italy
Played leading role in aiding Rossi in his Songs of Solomon; wrote extensive preface to the work. All works lost. Controversial religious figure.
Najara
Israel
c.1555-1625
Gaza
Enormous influence on piyyut (Hebrew liturgical poem), but no works survive.
Porto
Allegro
fl. early 1620s
Trieste, Italy/
Munich, Germany
51 pieces in three collections, published 1619, 1622 and 1625.
Rachah
Samuel Nissim
fl. 18th century
Livorno, Italy
Author of eighteenth-century manuscript containing sacred Hebrew songs with secular titles (it, aria, recitativo, etc.)
Ricchi
Rabbi (Raphael) Emanuel Hay ben Abraham
1688-1743
Livorno, Italy
Author of hon 'ashir- a poem about the Sabbath, circumcision and tefillin, set to music after a commentary on the mishnah. Written in Amsterdam, 1731.
(de) Rossi
Asher (Anselmo)
fl. 17th century
Mantua, Italy
Son of Salamone Rossi's sister, the singer Madame Europa.
Rossi
Salamone
1570-1630
Mantua, Italy
Author of Shir haShirim asher liShlomo (1622-3): 33 polyphonic settings of Hebrew psalms, hymns and synagogal songs
Sacerdote
David
fl. late 16th century
Mantua, Italy
One collection (Il primo libro de madrigali a sei voci) of eighteen pieces published in 1575