In 1636 she chose the cloister, but her music soon transcended its walls: guided by her faith, Isabella Leonarda composed with a rare freedom in a male-dominated Italy. 
By Rashid-Sascha Pegah
Born in Novara in 1620, Isabella Leonarda emerged as a key figure of sacred baroque. An Ursuline nun and teacher, she published twenty collections between 1660 and 1700, ranging from motets to instrumental sonatas — a first for a woman. Admired in her own time and rediscovered today, she stands as a pioneer of female creativity in Europe’s seventeenth-century musical world. This year marks the 405th anniversary of her birth.
Vivace: A Daughter from a Good Family
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