Vittoria Aleotti

Vittoria Aleotti (c. 1575 – after 1620), believed by some scholars to be the same as Raffaella Aleotta (c. 1570 – after 1646) was an Italian Augustinian nun, a composer and organist of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. She is recognized as one of the earliest known female composers to have works published, contributing to the development of sacred and secular vocal music.

Aleotti was a nun at the Convent of San Vito in Ferrara, where she composed and performed music. Her published works include madrigals and sacred motets, notably appearing in the 1593 collection Il giardino de’ musici di Donne. Some scholars believe she may also have been the composer known as Raffaella Aleotti, who published a collection of sacred motets in 1593.

Her contributions to music were significant in an era when female composers were rare, and her works remain a subject of interest in studies of women in Renaissance music.

Read more about this composer on Wikipedia.