Francesca Caccini is best known for writing the earliest surviving opera written by a woman. Born in Florence, Italy, in 1587, she was taught by her father, Giulio Caccini, one of the original creators of opera. She began singing with her sister at 14, which led to the formation of a family choir. While singing with her family, Caccini was also hired by the Medici court as a teacher, chamber singer, rehearsal coach and composer for chamber and stage music. Her family group broke up after her sister got married, but she became the highest paid musician in the court. While Francesca was a prolific composer, most of her work has been lost, including her first opera titled La Stiava. Her only surviving opera is La liberazione di Ruggiero. Opera was still in its earliest days; La liberazione di Ruggiero premiered in Venice in 1625, just 27 years after the very first opera, Jacopo Peri’s Dafne. La liberazione di Ruggiero was one of the very first Italian operas to be performed outside of Italy, helping to popularize opera and spread it all around Europe. Caccini passed along her musical knowledge to other women in her time, including her own daughter and the Medici princesses. She stopped serving the court in 1641, the last mention of her on public record. Despite her importance in the history of opera, there is not official history of her fate. It’s most likely that she passed away between 1641-1645. While most of her work may be lost, she has the distinction of having helped to popularize opera.