Heliodoro de Paiva

Dom Heliodoro de Paiva (fl. Coimbra, 1552) was a Portuguese composer, philosopher, and theologian.

Life
Heliodoro de Paiva was born in Lisbon (date unknown). He studied at the Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra, where he took the holy orders as an Augustinian regular capitulary. He was remarkable for the qualities he revealed in a wide variety of subjects: apart from musician and composer, he was well versed in the Greek, Latin, and Hebraic languages, and he was a good philosopher and theologian. As a musician, he played several instruments with skill and he was an esteemed singer.

Work
Paiva's work can be found in the music manuscripts of the Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra (now kept at the library of the University of Coimbra). He composed masses, motets, and Magnificats but, as he was excessively humble, he did not sign his works, which makes it more difficult to identify them.