I Voci Segreti

The Portrait Players join Dame Emma Kirkby for a programme exploring the rise of virtuoso women singers in late 16th-century Italy. At the heart of the performance is the celebrated Concerto delle Donne of Ferrara, a pioneering ensemble of three sopranos who performed within the exclusive world of the court’s musica secreta. Renowned for their richly ornamented madrigals and expressive ensemble singing, these musicians inspired composers across Italy to create dazzling new works for upper voices and helped expand professional opportunities for women in music.

The programme features music by composers closely associated with this movement, including Luzzasco Luzzaschi and Claudio Monteverdi, alongside works by influential women composers whose careers flourished in its wake, such as Francesca Caccini and Barbara Strozzi.