Maddalena Casulana

Maddalena Casulana (fl. 1566-1583) was an Italian composer, lutenist, and singer. She composed 66 madrigals in three books, which were the first known printed musical works by a woman. Her first book of madrigals was dedicated to Isabella de’ Medici Orsini. In the preface, Casulana writes:

not only to give witness to my devotion to Your Eccellency, but also to show to the world (to the degree that it is granted to me in this profession of music) the foolish error of men who so greatly believe themselves to be the masters of high intellectual gifts that [these gifts] cannot, it seems to them, be equally common among women.