Leading Ladies of Liberty: Songs from the Lives and Legacies of America’s First Women

Behind the political drama of the early American republic stood a circle of brilliant and influential women who shaped the nation’s cultural life through their intellect, taste, and artistic patronage. Leading Ladies of Liberty explores the musical lives of figures such as Martha Jefferson Randolph, an accomplished keyboard player who helped shape the musical life of Monticello; Dolley Madison, whose celebrated Washington gatherings reflected the cultural refinements expected of the new capital; and Elizabeth Monroe, whose years in France exposed her to the fashionable artistic traditions she later helped introduce to American society.

In this America 250 anniversary year, the program highlights the musical traditions of early American society and the important role music played in the salons and parlors where conversation, culture, and identity helped define the young republic. Through songs and instrumental works of the period, the concert offers a glimpse into the musical world of America’s founding generation.

The performance features soprano Elissa Edwards, Artist-in-Residence at the Hammond-Harwood House Museum, joined by Wade Davis, cello, a featured soloist and chamber musician with many of the region’s leading early music ensembles, and John Stowe, organ, former Professor of Organ and Harpsichord at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The concert will be preceded by a reception with wine and light refreshments at 6:00 pm.

Concert supported by Nancy L. Harrison

ARTIST SPOTLIGHTS: 

Wade Davis

Cellist Wade Davis is a distinguished soloist and chamber musician specializing in both modern and historical performance. A featured artist with leading ensembles including the Washington Bach Consort, Folger Consort, Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, and Cathedral Choral Society, he is admired for his virtuosic command, expressive depth, and stylistic versatility. Equally compelling as a soloist and collaborator, his performances are noted for their warmth of tone and interpretive sophistication. Davis holds advanced degrees in Historical Performance from the Peabody Conservatory and is co-founder of the baroque ensemble S’amusant, reflecting his deep commitment to bringing early repertoire vividly to life for modern audiences

John Stowe

Organist and harpsichordist Dr. John Chappell Stowe, Emeritus Professor of Organ and Harpsichord at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has enjoyed a distinguished career as a performer, teacher, and specialist in early keyboard traditions. A dedicated advocate for historically informed performance, Dr. Stowe taught continuo playing, improvisation, and early repertoire, and was a longtime faculty artist with the Madison Early Music Festival. Active throughout the United States as a recitalist and lecturer, his interests span early Italian keyboard music and later organ traditions. Known for performances that combine stylistic insight with expressive clarity, Dr. Stowe brings both scholarly depth and artistic sensitivity to music of earlier eras.