music was a common feature of religious and secular events. to that end many noblemen founded church and school choirs, and employed their own ensembles of musicians. some, like stanisław lubomirski built their own opera houses (in nowy wiśnicz). yet others, like janusz skumin tyszkiewicz and krzysztof radziwiłł were known for their sponsorship of arts which manifested itself in their permanently retained orchestras, at their courts in wilno. musical life further flourished during the reign of the vasas. both foreign and domestic composers were active in the commonwealth. king sigismund iii brought in italian composers and conductors, such as luca marenzio, annibale stabile, asprilio pacelli, marco scacchi and diomedes cato for the royal orchestra. notable home grown musicians, who also composed and played for the king's court, included bartłomiej pękiel, jacek różycki, adam jarzębski, marcin mielczewski, stanisław sylwester szarzyński, damian stachowicz, mikołaj zieleński and grzegorz gorczycki.