Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677)

Barbara Strozzi was born in the Republic of Venice, Italy. She was the illegitimate daughter of Giulio Strozzi, a gentleman and intellectual, and Isabella Garzon, his long-time servant. He adopted Barbara and made her his heiress. She studied music with the famous opera composer Francesco Cavalli, and developed an outstanding singing voice. Her father encouraged her musicianship, even creating his own academy of music, the Accademia degli Unisoni (Academy of Unisons), at which she could perform publicly. She also became known for her intellect, learning, and wit. In 1644, she published her first opus, madrigals with texts written by her father. Her subsequent eight published collections, which included cantatas, solo arias, and duets, appeared after her father died in 1652. Her output is unique for the period because it contains only secular music, with the exception of one volume of sacred songs. She was also renowned as a poet and lyricist. She never married but had four children in the 1640s, three reputedly fathered by Giovanni Paolo Vidman, a friend of her father. In 1677, she moved to Padua, where, after a brief illness, she died at age 58.