Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger was an Italian lutenist and composer of the early Baroque era. He was one of the most prominent composers for the lute and guitar, and he played an important role in the development of how the instruments are played.

Very little is known about Kapsberger's birth and early life, but historians have estimated his birthdate to be around 1580. His father was a colonel in the Austrian military, and they lived in Venice in the early 1600s. After 1605, Kapsberger lived in Rome, where he was employed by the wealthy Bentivoglio and Barberini families. His noble status and reputation as a virtuoso performer kept him in high demand among the socially elite. He married Gerolima di Rossi in 1609, and they had at least three children together. Two years later, Kapsberger published his Libro primo d'intavolatura di lauto, which is his only surviving collection for the lute. He also composed several collections for other genres including sacred and secular vocal works, chamber symphonies, and four volumes of guitar music. Scholars often criticize his vocal music for being inconsistent in quality, but his most celebrated works are his two collections of Cantiones sacrea and his first volume of Villanellas from 1610. While he didn't follow the counterpoint rules of the time in his vocal compositions, his instrumental music is often described as dramatic, spontaneous, and virtuosic. In 1622 he was commissioned to compose Apotheosis sive consecratio, for the canonization of saints Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier. By 1624 he was employed by Cardinal Francesco Barberini, where he worked with other leading musicians of the time, such as Luigi Rossi and Girolamo Frescobaldi. He also published Poematia et carmina, which was a setting of poetry by the cardinal's uncle, Pope Urban VIII. Kapsberger stayed in good favor with the pope and his family and remained in this position until 1646. During this period, he published his Libro quarto d'intavolatura di chitarrone, which offers valuable insights regarding Baroque performance practice and technique. Kapsberger passed away in 1651. ~ RJ Lambert, Rovi