Francesca Caccini

Francesca Caccini (September 18, 1587 – probably 1640) was an Italian composer, singer, lutenist, and music teacher of the early Baroque era. She was the daughter of Giulio Caccini, and was probably the most famous and influential female European composer, in any genre, between Hildegard of Bingen in the 12th century and the 19th century. Her opera, La liberazione di Ruggiero, was the first Italian opera to be performed outside of Italy.

References

• Article on Francesca Caccini, in Historical Anthology of Music by Women. James R. Briscoe, ed. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 1986. ISBN 0253212960 Note: both this article and the Grove article are by Carolyn Raney.
• Article "Francesca Caccini." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. ISBN 1561591742
• "Francesca Caccini, Musician to the Medici and her Primo Libro." Carolyn Raney, Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1971.