Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen was a remarkable 18th-century Italian composer, violinist, and singer who broke barriers in a male-dominated classical music world. Born in 1745 in Venice, she showed early talent for music and received formal training at the Ospedale dei Mendicanti, a Venetian music school for girls. She studied violin under Giuseppe Tartini, one of the most prominent violinists of the time.
Sirmen gained fame across Europe not only for her virtuosic violin performances but also for her compositions, particularly her chamber music. She's best known for her six string quartets, published in the 1760s, which were among the earliest such works by a female composer and contributed significantly to the development of the string quartet genre. Her music blends Classical elegance with expressive melodies, and she enjoyed an active performing career well into the later decades of the 18th century.
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