Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre

Born in 1665 into an important family of musicians and masons, Elisabeth Jacquet was a child prodigy, performing impressively on the harpsichord at the age of five. She became a regular performer at the court of Louis XIV and her virtuosity earned his patronage for many years.

In 1684 Elisabeth Jacquet married the organist Marin de la Guerre and left the court, teaching and giving concerts at home and throughout Paris, and later publishing her own compositions. Her first publication, printed in 1687, was Premier livre de pièce de clavessin. This was followed by well-received compositions for harpsichord and violin, and in later life she published a set of 12 cantatas in French, on biblical subjects. Her last publication was a trio of secular cantatas.