Maddalena Sirmen (later Lombardini) was a Venetian violinist and composer. Aged 14 she moved to Padua to study with Giuseppe Tartini, a key Baroque violinist especially in terms of documenting technique.
In 1767 she married another violinist, Ludovico Sirmen, and they formed something of a performing career together: they performed a double violin concerto, which they composed together, the followed year in Paris. She visited London several times over the following years to great acclaim. She was also one of the first composers to write string quartets.
It would seem that during her time in Paris she wrote her Op.3 Violin Concerti – these came to the attention of Leopold Mozart who wrote to his son (Wolfgang – you’ve definitely heard of him) saying that the first concert was beautifully written. Wolfgang Mozart’s violin concerti are contemporary with Maddalena’s (composed 1773-1776).
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