The Enlightened Violin Virtuoso: Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen and her Duets op. 4

Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen (Venice 9 Dec. 1745 – Venice 18 May 1818) was an Italian violinist, singer, and composer. Her life is an extraordinary example of the path of an emancipated, independent woman who managed, through her qualities, to pursue an international career as a violin virtuoso during the second part of the eighteenth century. Even though there are essays and books giving some information about her, she remains largely unknown to the general public, and only some specialized musicians recall her name as the recipient of a letter, written to her by Giuseppe Tartini, where he outlines his teaching methods.