In 1563 Jean de Macque was a singer of the Vienna court chapel and then presumably went to Italy where he was according to his own testimony a pupil of Philippe de Monte (1521-1603). Around 1568 he was verifiably an organist at the church San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. He played an influential role there in the Virtuosa Compagnia dei Musicisti led by Luca Marenzio (1553-1599), to which et al., also Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594), Giovanni Maria Nanino (1545-1607), Francesco Soriano (1548-1621) and Felice Anerio (around 1560-1614) belonged. Around 1586 he commissioned by Prince Fabrizio Gesualdo di Venosa (father of the composer Don Carlo Gesualdo di Venosa) in Naples, became second organist at the church SS. Annunziata in Naples in 1590, in 1594 organist and in 1599 conductor of Real Cappella. Giovanni Maria Trabaci (around 1575-1647), Andrea Falconiero (around 1585-1656) and Luigi Rossi (1597-1653) were among his pupils.
De Macque was one of the last important Dutch composers, who made Italy his home. Not so much his numerous madrigals peek special interest as rather his organ pieces because of the rich use of discord and chromaticism.
