Francesca Caccini (1587 - ca.1638-40)

The first woman known to have composed opera, Francesca Caccini may have been the most prolific composer of her time. She was the daughter of the famous Florentine singer and composer Guilio Caccini, who was probably her earliest teacher and mentor. Her musical education was augmented by a literary education; she wrote poetry as well as music. Active as a singer, composer and teacher, Francesca published her Primo Libro delle Musiche a una e due Voci (1618) with the same printer used by her father for his well-known Le Nuove Musiche (1602) and its follow-up volume (1614).