Chiquinha Gonzaga

Brazilian composer and conductor who shattered gender norms in 19th-century Latin American music

Francisca 'Chiquinha' Gonzaga (1847–1935) revolutionized Brazilian culture as the first female conductor and composer in a male-dominated industry. Defying her aristocratic family, she fled an abusive marriage to compose over 2,000 works, including the 1877 carnival hit Ó Abre Alas—now considered Brazil's first official carnival march.

Gonzaga blended European classical music with Afro-Brazilian rhythms, creating the choro genre. Her operetta Forrobodó ran for 1,500 performances, unprecedented for a female-authored work. She also co-founded the Brazilian Society of Theater Authors, fighting for artists' copyrights.

Abolitionist and feminist, Gonzaga used her fame to fund Quilombo communities. Her 1885 opera A Corte na Roça satirized imperial racism. Today, Rio's Music Museum preserves her piano, while her defiant spirit inspires Latin American female artists breaking glass ceilings.