Another prolific and gorgeous composer was Orlando di Lasso.
If you delight in the somewhat alien nature of Renaissance music and it's distance from our own tonality, it doesn't get much more bizarre than Gesualdo ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Gesualdo ).
Of course, for my money the most gorgeous writing (especially the most accessible to modern ears) is Palestrina.
One recommendation: go to a nearby university library (or maybe even a good public library) and get hold of one of the listening anthologies that goes with a music history textbook like the Norton one by Burkholder et al, or Bonds'. Listen (and read) through the early sections. Then branch out and explore the composers you like best. If you look up their entries in the Grove music encyclopedia, you can often find who they studied with or taught, and might enjoy their work too. You might also find rewarding recordings by following artists you enjoy. And of course, if you have any early music performance groups near you, go to their concerts and you might find new surprises (most of them are so desperate for audience members that their concerts are free). At the most extreme, you could consider auditing a course on early music!
Good luck!
