Concert : The virtuosa singer in the academies of early modern Italy

A concert of music by Giulio Caccini, Francesca Caccini, Claudio Monteverdi, Marc'Antonio Pasqualini and Barbara Strozzi

Sopranos: Christina Birchall-Sampson, Amy Brosius
Theorbo/Spanish guitar: Richard MacKenzie
Early violoncelli: Tabitha Tuckett (UCL)
Presentations: Amy Brosius (University of Birmingham), Lisa Sampson (UCL)
Organizer: Lisa Sampson (UCL) 

One of the outstanding features of Italian music and theatre culture in the late 16th and 17th centuries was the rise of the female virtuosa, or skilled singer, actress and performer. In some cases virtuose became 'stars' on the public or court stage, but they equally attracted intense criticism and bans. This event presents music by some of the early virtuose singers, poets and composers, and explores contexts, protagonists and musical features. It brings new research perspectives by focusing on private, intellectual circles like academies, which were characteristic of this period and the setting of often less documented, but experimental performances and voices.

• Open to all but register by 10 September 2018 https://earlymodernvirtuosa.eventbrite.co.uk
• Organiser: Centre for Early Modern Exchanges
• Sponsors : UCL Centre for Critical Heritage Studies, The Italianist, Journal of The Departments of Italian Studies at the Universities of Cambridge, Leeds and Reading