He was born in Chioggia, a fishing town on the Adriatic coast south of Venice, the same town as Gioseffo Zarlino, and he came to Venice early, becoming a member of the boy's choir at St. Mark's under Zarlino's direction by the time he was eight years old.
After the death of Zarlino, he became assistant maestro di cappella; this was during the tenure of Baldassare Donato.