This book offers a vital contribution to the study of women in classical music, focusing on composer Maria Hester Park. It addresses a significant gap in scholarship on late 18th- and early 19th-century women composers, examining Park's life, keyboard works, influence within London's cultural milieu, and professional networks within a male-dominated musical world. The book explores her performances, engagement with subscription publishing, and the societal expectations shaping female musical accomplishments, encouraging a broader recognition of women's artistic legacies from this period.

Lise Karin Meling is an associate professor of music history at the Faculty of Performing Arts, University of Stavanger, Norway, where she teaches music history, performance practice, and harpsichord performance. Her research spans the roles of women composers and their social status in the 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as the significance of domestic music-making in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In recent years, she has expanded her work to include the gendered history of musical instruments, particularly keyboard instruments, and the study of subscription lists in England in relation to women composers. Dr Meling has authored a wide range of scholarly articles, book chapters, and textbooks in music history. As a harpsichord performer, she is committed to bringing lesser-known works by women composers to light. She is also an active participant in national and international conferences, contributing to lecture recitals, interviews, and media appearances.