| Who is it? | Music Composer, Choirmaster, Singer |
| Birth Year | 1410 |
| Birth Place | Saint-Ghislain, Belgian |
| Age | 609 YEARS OLD |
| Died On | 6 February 1497 (aged 71-87)\nTours, France |
| Notable work | Prolation Mass Requiem |
Johannes Ockeghem, a renowned music composer, choirmaster, and singer from Belgium, is deemed to have an estimated net worth ranging between $100,000 to $1 million by the year 2024. Ockeghem's substantial contributions to the field of music, particularly during the Renaissance period, have solidified his status as one of the most accomplished figures of his time. With an extraordinarily diverse oeuvre comprising sacred and secular compositions, as well as his role as a respected choirmaster, Ockeghem's enduring legacy has undoubtedly garnered him substantial financial recognition.
The spelling of Ockeghem's name comes from a supposed autograph of his which survived as late as 1885, and was reproduced by Eugène Giraudet, a Historian in Tours; the document has since been lost. In 15th-century sources, the spelling "Okeghem" predominates.
In 1993, documents dating from 1607 were found stating that "Jan Hocquegam" was a native of Saint-Ghislain in the County of Hainaut, which was confirmed by references in 16th century documents. This suggests that, though he first appears in records in Flanders, he was a native speaker of Picard. Previously, most biographies surmised that he was born in East Flanders, either in the town after which he was named (present-day Okegem, from which his ancestors must have come) or in the neighboring town of Dendermonde (French: Termonde), where the surname Ockeghem occurred in the 14th and 15th century. Occasionally, Bavay, now in the Nord department in France, was suggested as his birthplace as well.
A strong influence on Josquin des Prez and the subsequent generation of Netherlanders, Ockeghem was famous throughout Europe for his expressive music, though he was equally renowned for his technical prowess. Two of the most famous contrapuntal achievements of the 15th century include his Missa prolationum, which consists entirely of mensuration canons, and the Missa cuiusvis toni, designed to be performed in any of the different modes, but even these technique-oriented pieces demonstrate his uniquely expressive use of vocal ranges and tonal language. Ockeghem's use of wide-ranging and rhythmically active bass lines sets him apart from many of the other composers in the Netherlandish Schools.
