In celebration of the women who shaped the early American republic, this concert spotlights the music associated with the wives, daughters, and salon hosts of America’s founding leaders. Through music preserved in their collections and stories drawn from their lives, Leading Ladies of Liberty traces the influence of figures like Martha Jefferson Randolph, Dolley Madison, and Elizabeth Monroe. These women were tastemakers, hostesses, and quiet strategists, and their cultural imprint is captured in the domestic music they cherished. With repertoire spanning sentimental ballads, genteel salon songs, and patriotic airs, the program celebrates the grace and resilience of women who upheld the republic’s private and public spheres.

The program features soprano Elissa Edwards, Artist-in-residence at the Hammond-Harwood House Museum alongside guest artists.

Concert supported by Nancy L. Harrison