About Nicolas Vallet
Lived 1583 – 1645 (aged 61–62). Nicolas Vallet was a French and Dutch composer and lutenist.
Nicolas Vallet (also Valet; c. 1583 – c. 1642) was a French lutenist and composer who emigrated to the Dutch Republic.
Vallet, a Huguenot, was born at Corbeny, Aisne, but fled around 1613 from France to the Netherlands for unknown reasons. In Amsterdam he worked as a self-supporting musician, lute teacher, and as the owner of a dance school.
His primary work, Le Secret des Muses, contains compositions and instruction for the 10-course Renaissance lute. It was published in two parts in 1615 and 1616. It was among the last compositions to appear for this instrument, before it was supplanted by the Baroque lute.
He also wrote a Psalms of David (in 1615) and Regia Pietas (in 1622).
According to Frederick Neumann, Vallet may have been among the first to introduce ornaments to the lute tablature.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Nicolas Vallet's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Nicolas Vallet?
Dutch lute composer of French descent
When was Nicolas Vallet born?
Nicolas Vallet was born in 1583 in Corbeny.
When did Nicolas Vallet die?
Nicolas Vallet died in 1645 in Amsterdam.
What was Nicolas Vallet's occupation?
Nicolas Vallet was a composer and lutenist.
What nationality was Nicolas Vallet?
Nicolas Vallet was French and Dutch.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Nicolas Vallet. https://biography.guide/nicolas-vallet/
MLA: "Nicolas Vallet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/nicolas-vallet/.
Chicago: "Nicolas Vallet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/nicolas-vallet/.
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