Anna Maria della Pieta, Vivaldi’s Muse, Featured in Australian Recital

Anna Maria della Pieta, a prodigious violinist raised at Venice’s Ospedale della Pieta, was tutored by Antonio Vivaldi. Vivaldi wrote at least 26 concertos for her, praising her virtuosity on violin, viola d’amore, mandolin, theorbo and harpsichord. Her personal “part book”, now in the Venice conservatory, documents this repertoire and confirms her status as a star of the all‑female orchestra that performed behind metal grilles for European audiences.

British researcher Micky White notes that contemporary scholars compare her skill to that of Giuseppe Tartini. To bring her legacy to modern listeners, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra will perform several of the concertos, including the violin concerto in E major “per Anna Maria”, in a special recital that aims to spotlight the forgotten muse who inspired Vivaldi’s music.