Composer. One of the earliest noteworthy female composers, her art was shaped by the unusual circumstances of her life. Vizzana was born in Bologna, Italy, the daughter of a local nobleman. After her mother's death in 1598 she was raised in the nearby convent of Santa Cristina della Fondazza, which had a history of insubordination towards the Bolognese bishops in matters of art and personal expression. Her musical gifts were nurtured by Camilla Bombacci, her aunt and the convent organist, and the sisters secretly hired a layman, Ottavio Vernizzi, to give her advanced courses in composition. It was probably Vernizzi who arranged to have a book of Vizzana's vocal pieces, "Componimenti musicali de motetti concertati", printed in Venice in 1623, where it caused quite a stir. Very few women had published music before then and for a cloistered nun to do so was tantamount to sacrilege. Church authorities ultimately found the assertiveness of the Santa Cristina sisterhood intolerable. In November 1628 the Vatican sent troops to Santa Cristina to restore order, and after a brief, bloodless standoff the convent was shut down and the rebellious nuns dispersed. Vizzana was allowed to remain a nun in the vicinity but was apparently forbidden to write any more music; no other works by her are known. In her last years she was declared insane. The 20 motets in "Componimenti musicali" - 10 for solo voice, eight duets and two for trio or quartet, all with continuo accompaniment - are deeply emotional in expression and reveal Vizzana's knowledge of early Baroque trends, particularly the chromaticism of Monteverdi. They include "Protector Noster", "O Magnum Mysterium", "Ave Stella Matutina", and "Veni Dulcissime Domine". Although she has always been well-regarded by Early Music aficionados, it was not until the late 20th Century that Vizzana's compelling story began to take on a broader appeal. Her complete works were recorded on the album "Songs of Ecstacy and Devotion" (1998) and her life was the subject of an off-Broadway play, "Rapture" (2000).