Maria Antonia Walpurgis

Maria Antonia Walpurgis, princess of Saxony and daughter of future emperor Karl Albert of Bavaria, was a composer, singer, and patron of the arts. In 1747, she married the prince elector of Saxony; that same year, she became a member of the Accademia dell’Arcadia of Rome, which was well known for its role in the production of operas. Maria published the majority of her works under the initials “ETPA,” including her two best-known operas, Il trionfo della fedeltà (1754) and Talestri, regina delle amazoni (1760), in which she appeared in leading roles for court performances.