virtuosa

American  

[vur-choo-oh-suh] / ˌvɜr tʃuˈoʊ sə /

noun

1. a female virtuoso; a woman with exceptional talent or skill, especially in music.

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Etymology

Origin of virtuosa

First recorded in 1670–80; from Italian virtuosa, feminine of virtuoso; virtuoso ( def. ), virtuous ( def. )

Example Sentences

The Envelope recently caught up with makeup effects veteran Mike Hill, seasoned production designer Tamara Deverell, costume virtuosa Kate Hawley and acclaimed composer Alexandre Desplat, all Oscar-nominated for their work on “Frankenstein.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

She is a virtuosa, and a master of her craft, but her nomination is predictable because now she represents the gold standard for the Latin Academy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025

For after the fraught Fisher piece sets the bar low on visibility, Malcolm gives us a feast of looking in the next profile, “Performance Artist,” about the young piano virtuosa Yuja Wang.

From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2019

Which sets me to thinking about another virtuosa vocalist.

From Time • Dec. 25, 2012

She had studied; she had even played the violin in public; but she gave up her virtuosa ambitions for the man she had married during their student years in Germany.

From Visionaries by Huneker, James