MARIANNA Martines

Born in Vienna, Marianna Martines grew up in the Michaelerhaus under the direct mentorship of imperial poet Pietro Metastasio, who resided with her family. Recognizing her exceptional precocity, Metastasio arranged top-tier musical training for her: a young Joseph Haydn, living in the attic of the same building, taught her keyboard, while Nicola Porpora instructed her in voice and imperial court composer Giuseppe Bonno directed her composition and counterpoint studies.

As an adult, Martines achieved international acclaim as both a virtuoso performer and a master composer. In 1773, she broke historic ground by becoming the first woman inducted into the prestigious Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna. In Vienna, she and her sister hosted prominent musical academies that functioned as vibrant salons for the city's artistic elite, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a frequent guest and four-hand keyboard partner.

Her catalog is remarkable for its ambition and scale, moving far beyond domestic miniatures into large-format classical concert forms. Her principal works include four large-scale orchestral masses, a classical symphony (Overture in C major), multiple keyboard concertos and solo sonatas, and the acclaimed Italian oratorio "Isacco figura del redentore" (1782). Martines remains one of the most prominent and technically accomplished figures of the Viennese Classical era.