In Episode 1 of Virtuosa Society’s inaugural season, host Katie Harman weaves together two different tales of collaboration between royal circles.

First, the little known behind-the-scenes story of what is widely considered one of the first operas ever written: La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina (“The Liberation of Roger from the Island of Alcina”). The twist? It was deliberately meant to send a collaborative message of gender equality by three wildly different women in service to the Medici Family in 1620s Tuscany: Francesca Caccini - chief composer for the Medici for over three decades and a professional female musician able to carve out an extraordinarily rare career during the Italian Renaissance, alongside powerful Medici matriarch Christine de Lorraine and her headstrong Austrian daughter-in-law Maria Magdelena. Together they formed The Women’s Court, and their desire to protect and project the lives of strong women converged on one unforgettable night in 1625.

In connection, Katie recalls a poignant reunion between her Miss America sisters in 2015 and shares a meaningful snippet of her conversation with Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler, talking about the importance of sharing our stories to uplift the experience of womanhood.

Special thanks to the extensive research of Professor Suzanne Cusick, author of Francesca Caccini at the Medici Court: Music and the Circulation of Power, as well as Dr. Anna Beer, author of Sounds and Sweet Airs: The Forgotten Women of Classical Music. Their work was referenced throughout this podcast. Stay tuned for a feature interview with Dr. Anna Beer in a future episode!

The music of Francesca Caccini’s La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina was from a terrific 2017 recording by Allabastrina.

Subscribe to www.virtuosasociety.com and follow @virtuosasociety on Instagram and Facebook for access to bonus materials from this episode.

Producer: Katie Harman @katieharmanebner

Audio Engineer: Will Cowser @williamcowser

Title Song: “Reflection of the Sun” by Anna Landström

Host Katie Harman takes a trip down memory lane to revisit some of her favorite moments in each of Season 1’s seven episodes. She reveals the common thread of collaboration within each story and the “moments of convergence” that are the apex of each story - when one talented woman meets another talented woman and spontaneous combustion happens in the form of something impactful, innovative, imaginative or awe-inspiring. Producer: Katie Harman @katieharmanebner Audio Engineer: Will Cowser @williamcowser Title Song: “Reflection of the Sun” by Anna Landström www.virtuosasociety.com Follow @virtuossociety on Instagram, Facebook and Threads

Episode 5 is a special mid-season “live broadcast” recorded in partnership with In A Landscape. Recorded for a live audience in the lush center of Moore Park, in Klamath Falls, Oregon, this episode unveils the story of pioneering, prolific photographer Maud Baldwin. Host Katie Harman recounts how Maud embodied the Oregon State Motto: “She Flies with Her Own Wings” and how she continues to inspire others long after her remarkable life was cut short by a truly tragic ending.

To close the episode, Katie joins IAL founder and pianist Hunter Noack in a performance of “The Heart of a Women” written by virtuosas Florence Price and Georgia Douglas Johnson. Florence and her work with Marian Anderson was featured in Episode 3.

Maud Baldwin’s photographs have been digitized by the Klamath County Museum. Pop over to their website to send an inquiry to view them, and also follow @virtuosasociety’s Instagram to see a tour of Maud’s studio and more!

Research referenced throughout the episode:

Maud Baldwin - Photographer By Harry Drew

Maud & Mary: A Century of Change By Valeree Lane

“The Woman Behind the Lens” By Kimberly Bowker, from 1859 Oregon’s Magazine

“The Heart of a Woman” for voice and piano By Florence Price, with poem by Georgia Georgia Douglas Johnson

Producer: Katie Harman @katieharmanebner

Audio Engineer: Will Cowser @williamcowser

Title Song: “Reflection of the Sun” by Anna Landström www.virtuosasociety.com