Oscar Chilesotti was an Italian musicologist. After studying law, he turned to music, making his studies with the lute, for which he deepened the history and literature of music and held a series of conferences in Italy. He transcribed ancient lute tablature into modern notation. Among his publications are to be counted Dances of the sixteenth century, including Nobiltà di Dame, Gratie d'amore, Affetti amorosi;; also dances for lute from the sixteenth century to the eighteenth century, Madrigals, Villanelle, dance tunes of the '500. Regarding musicology, he published Note biografiche da Palestrina a Bellini, Sulla melodia popolare del cinquecento, L'evoluzione nella musica, Canzonette del Seicento con la chitarra, Della scala arabo-persiana e indù.