Mateo Romero -born as Mathieu Rosmarin, called maestro Capitán- (ca.1575 - 10/05/1647), a Spanish singer and composer of Flemish origin, born in Liege. Mateo Romero came to Spain to hold the head musicians' post in the line of Gombert. His music shows some Baroque traits, including some continuo in the songs.

Mathieu Rosmarin [Mateo Romero] was born in Liege (Low Countries) in about 1575. After the dead of his father the young Rosmarin was sent to Madrid to become a young chorister. From 1586 up to 1593 the young Romero was singer, royal choirboy to the court-chapel of Philip II in Madrid, before joining to the Capilla Flamenca. With Philippe Rogier (c1561-1596), but certainly with Romero the last representative in Spain the long line of Flemish chapel-masters serving at the Spanish court, initiated by Nicolas Payen (c.1512-1559) and Pierre de Manchicourt (c.1510—1564), approached its end. After the death of Philip II in 1598 a change was quick to occur in the royal chapel. In 1596 Philip IV joined the famous Capilla Flamenca and the Capilla Española to one Chapel Royal.
In 1598 up to 1633 Romero and not another Fleming Géry de Ghersem (c.1574-1630), succeeded Philippe Rogier as the head, "Maestro Capitán" of the new formed Capilla Rea,l the Royal Chapel in Madrid during the reigns of Philip III and IV. De Ghersem returned in 1604 to Brussels as chapel-master at the court there.
Romero was ordained a priest in 1609 and served as chaplain to Philip III in 1605, and also held a non residential post of chaplain to the court of John IV [Jao IV] of Portugal from 1644. Romero was highly regarded in his time as a composer of sacred and secular vocal music; many of his works are no longer extant and unfortunately did not survive. Romero was the most important composer at the Spanish court around 1616, the year of Cervantes's death. As composer from the Low Countries he introduced and mixed up the Italian Stile Nuevo with the Spanish popular music. The rediscovered Requiem for two choirs, dedicated to Cervantes, has to be considered as one of Romero's best works. It is very solid and the vocal writing is impeccable! The two choir technique was very fashionable at the main musical centres in Europe and especially at St Mark's Basilica in Venice.
His works shows the transition between the Renaissance and the Baroque, for example in using the basso continuo. The imitative polyphony disappears and Romero searches for new idioms of sound and other way of expression. More sonority, the text is given more impact. And of course as already mentioned more elements with basso continuo. Of course Romero composed music to Spanish texts. He followed the tradition of the popular Villancico. Forty Villancico’s from his pen survived. The resignation of Romero in 1633 signalled the end of the supremacy of so much Flemish musicians among others as Maestri de Cappella of the European rulers and Maecenases.