Anna Bon di Venezia
Feminale of Music

Little is known about the personal life of the talented female composer. However, the few testimonies that exist of Anna Bon di Venezia point to an impressive musical career through various European countries.
Anna Bon di Venezia was born in August 1738 in Bologna, Italy. She comes from a successful Italian family of musicians who were active in many European countries. Anna Bon received her musical education at the famous »Ospedale della Pietà« in Venice. The Ospedale was an orphanage for girls, and at the same time an important music school where teachers like Antonio Vivaldi taught. The girls orchestra of the Ospedale had an excellent international reputation. Notably, the Ospedale also trained girls and young women on the cello, which was considered »indecent« in the rest of Europe at the time.
After her apprenticeship in Venice, she spent several years in Bayreuth, where Anna Bon and her parents were invited by Wilhelmine of Bayreuth. Wilhelmine strongly encourages the young musician, who distinguishes herself as a singer, cembalist and composer. Most of her compositions that are still known today are written in Bayreuth: six flute sonatas, six cembalo sonatas and six trio sonatas for flute and basso continuo, all of which are published by a publishing house in Nuremberg. After the death of her patron Wilhelmine, little is known about Anna Bon's further career. The last known station of her life leads her and her family to the court of the Prince of Esterházy, where she sings in Joseph Haydn's ensemble.
Op. 1 No. 4 Sonata for flute in D major – Allegro Moderato, published by Maria Gabriela Alvarado, flute: Sydney ZumMallen, baroque cello and Kyle Collins, cembalo, recorded on November 9, 2016 at Voertman Hall, UNT College of Music.
Op. 2 No. 1 – Cembalo Sonata in G minor, published by ComposersbyNumbers: Paule van Parys, harpsichord
Divertimento in d minor, Op. 3, No. 3, published by mirinae0904: The Ensemble Umbach and Consorten is specialized in early music. Elke Martha Umbach and Susanne Wendler, flute and Anke Dennert, cembalo