The Instrumentalist

Anna Maria may have no name, no fortune, no family. But she has her ambition, and her talent.

Her best hope lies in her teacher, Antonio Vivaldi. Soon she is his star pupil.

But as Anna Maria's star rises, not everyone is happy. Because Anna Maria's shining light is threatening to eclipse that of her mentor.

She will leave her mark, whatever it takes. And her story will be heard.

About the Author

Harriet Constable is a journalist, filmmaker and author based in London. Her journalism and documentary work has featured in outlets including the New York Times, BBC, Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, NPR, and the Economist. She is a graduate of Columbia University's School of Journalism summer school and is a Pulitzer Center grantee and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Reviews

"Enthralling, passionate, vivid. The Instrumentalist is a marvel" —Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Heresies and The Dance Tree

"Haunting, lyrical and so passionately rendered, The Instrumentalist is a virtuoso performance. Constable's evocation of Vivaldi's Venice and the lost – until now – life of Anna Maria della Pietà had me spellbound from start to finish. This is a remarkable story of strength and survival, talent and ambition, and the searing power of music to keep a heart beating. Wonderful" —Emma Stonex

"That rare creation – a powerful contribution to our understanding of women's history and a captivating novel in its own right. Harriet Constable's reimagining of Anna Maria della Pieta's life vibrates with colour and passion, a tale worthy of the violinist's genius. I was completely swept up into the intense world of Venice's forgotten orchestra of orphans, where the girls' hopes, dreams and relationships are movingly drawn ... A story of musical rivalry which will completely capture your imagination" —Elodie Harper, Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Wolf Den

"I was swept away by this searing portrait of ambition and betrayal. Occasionally a book arrives which not only moves but performs a vital function: and The Instrumentalist restores Anna Maria's name as she deserves, removing her from the forgotten annals of history" —Elizabeth MacNeal, author of the Sunday Times-bestselling The Doll Factory

"An intriguing tale ... A fascinating story of music, ambition, and womanhood in eighteenth-century Venice ... In The Instrumentalist, the Venetian Republic is a character in its own right, amid the glory and decadence of its final century." —Charmaine Wilkerson, author of the New York Times-bestselling Black Cake