He was a contemporary of Palestrina, writing music in a closely related style, and was a prominent composer and choir director in Rome in the late 16th century.
He retained the position at San Luigi de' Francesi until 1566, and from 1567 to 1570 he was maestro di cappella at St. John Lateran, one of the most prestigious musical posts in Rome.
In addition to his various employments as choirmaster, he was associated with the Oratorio di SS Trinità dei Pellegrini e Convalescenti, in Rome, an organization which paid him on several occasions, possibly for compositions.
Why he left Rome, the town of his birth, and the site of his success as a singer and choirmaster, is not documented, but he continued to compose music for the Sistine Chapel choir as late as 1582.
One of his madrigals, Chi per voi non sospira acquired considerable fame, being reprinted in many collections; in addition it was used by Vincenzo Galilei in his Fronimo: dialogo ... sopra l'arte del bene intavolare in a lute intabulation.