# Name Your Favorite African-American Classical Music Composers



## eohutchinson (May 10, 2015)

In a forthcoming book It's Our Music Too The Black Experience in Classical Music a number of prominent and lesser known African-American classical music composers are named and their works discussed. How many can you name? And how many of their works can you name?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Stills (a couple of symphonies) and Ellington (a number of Chandos CD's) from the top of my head.


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## Magnum Miserium (Aug 15, 2016)

Julius Eastman


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I'm sure the book will open up awareness to composers I'm not aware of. My favorites are Scott Joplin and William Grant Still. What I have heard of theirs is consistently interesting. 

I'm not familiar with Julius Eastman. Thanks for the clip. 

There are several African-American jazz/fusion/rock composers who would probably bleed into the classical area (like Anthony Braxton and David Baker), but I'm not sure their primary genre is classical.


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## Medtnaculus (May 13, 2015)

George Walker is pretty pro. His lyric for strings and piano sonatas are awesome


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## Biwa (Aug 3, 2015)

I had the pleasure of seeing (and listening to) David Baker perform years ago at Indiana University. 
He passed away in March. RIP http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/a...jazz-studies-into-the-academy-dies-at-84.html

And here's an informative article of African American composers...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/m...rs-whose-works-deserve-to-be-heard-more-often


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Other than William Grant Still I happened upon William L. Dawson in my collection. His 1934 Symphony is quite good.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Agree on the Dawson (it is on one of my Chandos Still CD's, but I could not come up with his name yesterday).


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Alas I am not familiar with African-American Classical Music Composers , going to follow this thread though.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Composers in my collection:

William Grant Still
Florence Price
Daniel Roumain
Tyshawn Sorey
George Lewis
Cedric Adderley
Hale Smith
Dolores White
Pamela Z
Tyondai Braxton
Don Byron

Still and Price (the first African-American woman to have her music played by an American orchestra) are the only ones I have more than a few minutes' worth, though.
There may well be other African-Americans in my collection; I have quite a lot of contemporary music and I don't necessarily know anything about some of the composers other than their names.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

In the US, if you want to be an outcast African-American, identify yourself as a Republican Conservative/classical music composer. You might as well be from Mars.


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## Genoveva (Nov 9, 2010)

A very limited collection:

A small selection of Scott Joplin piano rags. 

A CD with Neeme Järvi/Detroit SO: William Still's Symphony No 1 and Duke Ellington's "River" Suite.


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## Magnum Miserium (Aug 15, 2016)

hpowders said:


> In the US, if you want to be an outcast African-American, identify yourself as a Republican Conservative/classical music composer.


No, liking classical music makes you less of a Republican now. http://tinyurl.com/jm8npz8 (Country is where it's at - MAINSTREAM country, not that stuffy old Hank Williams that the intellectuals like).


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Some good recommendations so far. 

Along with Anthony Braxton, Another Anthony, Anthony Davis also fits the description of musicians that might be better known for jazz. He has several operas that are pretty well respected.


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## Guest (Oct 10, 2016)

Why do they have to be African-American to be black?


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## eohutchinson (May 10, 2015)

*african-american or black*



nathanb said:


> Why do they have to be African-American to be black?


who said they did


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## rgreene11 (Oct 16, 2016)

*Black composer name list*

Prior research shows there are many names. Hope the attached name listing is accessible to all.

Richard G.


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## LOLWUT (Oct 12, 2016)

Not classical, but Scott Joplin was unquestionably the greatest African-American composer of all time.


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