Emmanuel Adriaenssen (Antwerp, between 1540 and 1555 – died February 1604) was a Southern Dutch lutenist, teacher, and composer.
In 1574, Adriaenssen went to Rome to study. Upon his return, he founded a lute school in Antwerp with his brother Gysbrecht. Adriaenssen became famous with the publication of “Pratum Musicum” (Antwerp, 1584, reprinted with changes in 1600). The book contains 85 fantasies, songs, and dance tablatures. It includes pieces for solo lute and arrangements of madrigals for various lutes and voices. Musicologists have gleaned a wealth of didactic information about Renaissance performance practice from this work. The French lute tablatures reproduce versions of works by some of the most famous composers of the time; Italian madrigals, French and Flemish songs, motets and “Neapolitan songs,” lute fantasies, and dance music for solo lute and lute and two melody instruments. Most of the vocal works are in Italian. The Neapolitan songs, with their parallel fifths, have a rather rustic character.
He was the father of painters Vincent Adriaenssen and Alexander Adriaenssen.