Salon Strozzi

Her refined music was met with great enthusiasm during her lifetime, and yet she performed almost exclusively within her own four walls: Barbara Strozzi, singer and one of the most exciting and productive composers in 17th Century Venice. She was well connected with artists and businessmen, published editions of her own works and, together with her father, founded a special format in the Strozzi household: the ‘Accademia’, a kind of 17th century salon. Here, people met to talk and discuss philosophy, art and, of course, music. And last but not least, Strozzi herself performed her latest vocal compositions.

Director Maëlle Dequiedt explores how these salon encounters can be translated into our present day, inviting the audience into a unique space filled with music, poetry and dialogue. The audience and performers take the stage as a team: together, they are inspired by true stories and reflect on the meaning and limits of community. In addition, singers from the ensemble present Barbara Strozzi's rich musical oeuvre, led by early music expert Christian Rohrbach.