Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen received rave reviews during her years touring as a solo violinist in Paris and London. Originally born in Italy, she studied at the ospedale of the Mendicanti in Venice and privately with violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini. But Sirmen could do more than just play the violin: she performed a harpsichord concerto while in London, and was employed as a singer at an opera house in Dresden for five years. She also composed a number of violin concertos and string quartets. The Allegri String Quartet has recorded all six of her quartets on the Cala label.