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Francesca Caccini
Francesca Caccini (1587–1641) was an Italian composer, singer, lutenist, poet, and music teacher. Her singing for the wedding of Henry IV of France and Maria de Medici in 1600 was praised by Henry, who called her the "best singer in all of France". She worked as a teacher, chamber singer, rehearsal coach and composer of both chamber and stage music until 1627. By 1614 she was the court's most highly paid musician.. Most of her stage music was composed for performance in comedies. -
Elisabeth Olin
Elisabeth Olin (1740–1828) was a Swedish opera singer and classical era composer. She became a famed vocalist in the regular public concerts in Stockholm, and published her own compositions. She remained the primadonna of the Swedish opera for a decade. In 1773, she became the first female to be granted the title Hovsångare, and in 1782, she was inducted as the first female member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. -
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann (1819–1896) was a German composer from the Romantic Period and concert pianist who had a 61-year concert career, which changed the way people listened to music and appreciated concert music. In 1830, at the age of eleven, she had become a virtuoso soloist and she left on a concert tour of European cities. She was named a Königliche und Kaiserliche Kammervirtuosin ("Royal and Imperial Chamber Virtuoso"), Austria's highest musical honor. -
Juliette Boulanger
Juliette Nadia Boulanger, 1887 – 1979, was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. She is notable for having taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century. She also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. Boulanger was the first woman to conduct many major orchestras in America and Europe, including the BBC Symphony, Boston Symphony, Hallé, New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia orchestras. Her nickname was "Mademoiselle". -
Ella Fitzgerald
was an American jazz singer often referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz and Lady Ella. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. After her passing, Fitzgerald's influence lived on through her fourteen Grammy Awards, National Medal of Arts, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and tributes in the form of stamps, music festivals, and theater namesakes. -
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American singer, actress, and vaudevillian. She was renowned for her low and beautiful voice. Her career spanned over 40 years as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on concert stages. She starred in the original "Wizard of Oz" as the main character, Dorothy. -
Diana Ross
Diane Ernestine Earle Ross (born March 26, 1944), known professionally as Diana Ross, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Detroit, she rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes, which, during the 1960s, became Motown's most successful act, and is to this day the United States' most successful vocal group, as well as one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. -
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton Dean (born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946), professionally known as Dolly Parton, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist, known primarily for her work in country music. She is also famous for having a theme park in Tennessee called "Dollywood." -
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. She achieved popularity by pushing the boundaries in popular music and in her music videos, which were famous on MTV. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", Madonna is often cited as an influence by other artists. Having sold more than 300 million records worldwide, Madonna is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. -
Beyonce Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child and rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny's Child. Throughout her career, she has sold over 100 million records as a solo artist. In 2014, she became the highest-paid black musician in history. Forbes listed her as the most powerful female in entertainment of 2015 -
Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American jazz bassist and singer. Spalding was raised in Portland, Oregon and was a musical prodigy, playing violin in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at five years old. She was later both self-taught and -trained on a number of instruments, including guitar and bass. She has won four Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards, making her the first jazz artist to win the award. -
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift (1989) is one of the most popular female recording artists, known for narrative songs about her personal life, which has received much media attention. Born in Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at age 14 to be a country star. She has won 10 Grammy Awards, 5 Guinness World Records, 1 Emmy Award, 23 Billboard Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, 8 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 1 Brit Award. Swift is one of the best-selling artists of all time.
