Besard, Jean-Baptiste (c. 1567–after 1617)

French lutenist and composer. He first studied law at the University of Dôle, then the lute with Lorenzini in Rome. Later, he lived in Cologne and Augsburg, Germany. He published theoretical works and collections of lute music including his own. His Thesaurus harmonicus of 1603 contains more than 400 pieces by various composers and includes a manual on lute playing.