Emőke Baráth & Il Pomo D'Oro Presented by Liszt Academy

Although one of the first composers to be known by their first name was a woman (Hildegard von Bingen), men continue to dominate mainstream composition to this day. If one were to ask people in the street to name a few female composers, the majority would be unable to give a single example, irrespective of music genre. It is no secret that the January programme of the youthful albeit world-famous Hungarian soprano Emőke Baráth and Il Pomo d’Oro early music ensemble aims to change this lamentable state of affairs. In terms of numbers, prior to the second half of the 20th century most registered female composers were active in the 17th century and early 18th century. Italian Humanism was certainly more tolerant of the artistic ambitions of women than the later bourgeois world. The best-known female music composer of the 1600s was Barbara Strozzi, daughter of Venetian poet Giulio Strozzi; her songs, madrigals and cantatas speak of the influence of her teacher Francesco Cavalli, a student of Monteverdi.