Notre Dame School of Music

The Notre Dame School of Music was a medieval European musical tradition from the 12th and 13th centuries, centered around the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It marked a major development in Western music, pioneering the use of written notation and polyphony—multiple independent melodies performed simultaneously. Composers like Léonin and Pérotin created complex, structured compositions that laid the groundwork for Western musical notation and theory. This period significantly influenced the future of Western music by transitioning from simple chants to more intricate, organized compositions.