12 Forgotten Women Composers Born In the Baroque Era
by Emily E. Hogstad April 4th, 2026 The Baroque Era, lasting roughly from 1600 to 1750, was a golden age for classical music, yet the names most often celebrated today are almost entirely male. However, a remarkable group of women composers were writing music for royal courts, church services, and private salons across Europe. These women not only mastered composition but often had to fight to get anyone to take them seriously as artists. Here are twelve female composers of the Baroque and early Classical eras whose works deserve to be heard and celebrated once again. Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665–1729) Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre was born in Paris in 1665 to a musical family. She was a prodigy and performed for Louis XIV at the age of five. She ultimately joined the French court as a musician and continued dedicating works to the king for the rest of her life. Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre She published her first works – a book of harpsi...