He was a member of the Accademia degli Incogniti, one of the largest and most prestigious intellectual academies in Europe and a major political and social force in the Republic of Venice and beyond.

[2] Although Barbara was an illegitimate child, her father Giulio referred to her as his "adoptive daughter" and was instrumental in helping her establish her career as a musician later in her life.

In her book Sounds and Sweet Airs, historian Anna Beer states that Strozzi's musical gifts became more evident in her early adolescence, which led Giulio to arrange lessons in composition for her with one of the leading composers, Francesco Cavalli.

Giulio subsequently established the Accademia degli Unisoni, a subsidiary of the Incogniti, which welcomed musicians into the privileged social circle.

[9] A letter written after Strozzi's death reports she "was raped by Count Vidman, a Venetian nobleman.

It has been suggested that the rape allegation may have been a story circulated to protect Strozzi's reputation, as she had children out of wedlock.

In 1635 and 1636, two volumes of songs were published by Nicole Fontei, called the Bizzarrie poetiche (poetic oddities), full of praise for Strozzi's singing ability.

[12] The performance experience that she had at Unisoni equipped her with the vocal expertise that also manifested itself in her later publications, signifying her compositional talent.

Her opus 2, dedicated to Ferdinand III of Austria and Eleanora of Mantua on the occasion of their marriage, went unnoticed.

Other notable dedicatees include Anne de' Medici, the Archduchess of Austria, Nicolò Sagredo, later Doge of Venice, for whom she dedicated her opus 7, and Sophia, Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg.

[13] Strozzi was said to be "the most prolific composer – man or woman – of printed secular vocal music in Venice in the middle of the [17th] century.

"[14] Her output is also unique in that it only contains secular vocal music, with the exception of one volume of sacred songs.