French composer; seems to have lived in Italy from 1505, possibly studying with Obrecht at Ferrara. Directed music at the Baptistery of S. Giovanni in Florence in 1523-7, was in Rome from 1529 for up to four years, and held a secular appointment in Venice in 1533-5. His career is hard to follow after 1539.
Verdelot was one of several non-Italian composers who settled in Italy and dominated the early development of the madrigal. He published nine volumes of madrigals, and his church music (Masses and motets) was published in anthologies all over Europe. Though many of his 4-part madrigals are chordal and song-like, as are Arcadelt's, he sometimes wrote in a more flowing, imitative style, as in the fine Madonna il tuo bel viso.He also developed 5-part writing, varying the music with delicate contrasts of texture and careful attention to individual words or phrases, or enjoying the rich sonority of multiple low voices.