In the Baroque era, a handful of brilliant women overcame the odds and become famous composers.  There was Strozzi, the fiery prodigy; Leonarda, the nun; cosmopolitan Bembo, who fled to France to escape an abusive husband; and Caccini, who was the most highly-paid musician in the Medici court.  

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Perhaps brightest among all these jewels was the supremely gifted Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, whose best works outshone many of her contemporaries’.  Daughter of an egalitarian father in Paris, her musical talent was noticed by Louis XIV, the Sun King himself.  As a resident composer in his court, she produced a number of richly profound works in diverse styles, many of which still haunt us to this day. 

 

In Perspectives, we will bring Jacquet de la Guerre’s world to life through a series of performances and paintings that highlight different aspects of her life, from the mundane to the bizarre.