Ruffo was trained in Verona at the Cathedral probably by its organist and master Biagio Rossetti. He served Alfonso d'Alvalos in Milan and went back to Verona between 1547 and 1563. By 1551 he had acceded to the position of choirmaster at Verona Cathedral where he had studied. His students included Asola and possibly Ingegneri who taught Monteverdi and even Gabrieli. Between 1563 and 1572 Ruffo was again in Milan as the choirmaster. As his life continued the posts which Ruffo maintained diminished in responsibility and status. During his compositional activities he scored numerous secular madrigals and sacred motets. Ruffo was also part of a competition held around 1565 seeking the most clearly written sacred composition; the text had to be lucid. This contest was sponsored by Cardinal Borromeo who influenced much of Ruffo's music. From 1570 on Ruffo's masses were composed in such a manner as to render the textual data above the music. Between 1540 and 1580 Ruffo was one of the most prolific composers and characteristically his madrigals were harmonically conservative, rhythmically open, and filled with scoring problems. His sacred motets and masses demonstrate a development during these years with six parts with cantus firmus in the motets and imitation present in the masses based on other composer's motets. Ruffo's experimental works were mostly homophonic after 1570 in his attempt to clarify the text pursuant to Cardinal Borromeo's requirements. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi