Around 1578 Girolamo Diruta met Claudio Merulo in Venice, where Merulo was serving as one of the most renowned organists of the period. Diruta is reported to have studied with Merulo during this time, likely receiving instruction in both organ technique and compositional practice. Contemporary sources describe Diruta as having "probably studied" with Merulo, and Merulo himself later referred to Diruta in a prefatory letter to the 1593 edition of Il Transilvano as one of his finest students.
Diruta consistently acknowledged Merulo’s influence, praising the teachings he received from him in the introduction to Il Transilvano. The treatise was also dedicated to Merulo, indicating not only their teacher‑student relationship but also Diruta’s high regard for Merulo’s artistic authority. Diruta further documented Merulo’s techniques and approaches to keyboard performance within the treatise, preserving his teacher’s methods for later generations.
