George Theophilus Walker, pianist and composer, studied at Oberlin Conservatory, Curtis Institute, and Eastman School of Music. He was the first black instrumentalist to be signed by a major management, the National Concert Artists. In 1954, he made an unprecedented tour of seven European countries, playing in Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and England. He has held faculty positions at Dillard University, Dalcroze School of Music, The New School for Social Research, Smith College, University of Colorado, Rutgers University, Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and University of Delaware. His works have been performed by virtually every major orchestra in the United States and by many in England and other countries. The second movement of his piece String Quartet no. 1, entitled, Lyric for Strings, has become the most frequently performed orchestral work by a recent American composer. His awards include the Pulitzer Prize, a Fulbright Fellowship, two Guggenheim Fellowships, two Rockefeller Fellowships, two Koussevitsky Awards, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, and many more.

To learn more about George Walker, visit: georgetwalker.com

"H. Leslie Adams (b. 12/30/32, Cleveland, Ohio) composer of the music drama Blake, has worked in all media, including symphony, ballet, choral, vocal solo and keyboard. Adams’ works have been performed by the Prague Radio Symphony, Iceland Symphony, Bufalo Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony and New York City Opera. He has been commissioned by The Cleveland Orchestra, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, and Cleveland Chamber Symphony, among others. Metropolitan Opera artists have performed his vocal works internationally. Adams earned degrees from Oberlin College (Conservatory of Music), Long Beach State University and Ohio State University. He is listed in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., International Who’s Who in Music and Musicians; Who’s Who in American Music Classical, and Who’s Who in America. Adams is winner of the 'Life Achievement Award' of the Cleveland Arts Prize 'for his career as musician and composer.' "

Quoted from the Leslie Adams' Mini-Bio

To learn more about H. Leslie Adams, you can visit his website: hleslieadams.com

Pittsburgh born Jazz pianist, prolific composer, concert hall artist, and recording star, Garner was one of the most well known and influential pianists in the world during his lifetime. Surrounded by a musical family, Garner was by all accounts self-taught, began playing at the age of three and was performing professionally by the age of seven. Garner released music on over 40 labels, received multiple Grammy nominations, and recorded one of the greatest selling jazz albums of all time, Concert By The Sea. He scored for ballet, film, television, and orchestra. One of the most televised Jazz artists of his era, Garner appeared on TV shows all over the world, including: Ed Sullivan, Dick Cavitt, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, and many others. Erroll Garner’s musical and cultural legacy is perhaps stronger today than at any point since his passing in 1977. Thanks to the renewed efforts of Octave Music and it’s Erroll Garner Jazz Project, his music is once again finding fresh audiences through a series of new record releases, multimedia performances, and creative partnerships.

To learn more, visit: errollgarner.com

The "Dean of Afro-American Composers" studied at Wilberforce University before obtaining degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and New England Conservatory. He was a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Rosenwald Fellowship and was later awarded the Harmon award, the Jubilee prize, the Freedoms Foundation Award, the Phi Beta Sigma George Washington Carver Award, and the Richard Henry Lee Patriotism Award, as well as others. Still has been commissioned by Columbia Broadcasting System, the New York Worlds Fair 1939-40, Paul Whiteman, the League of Composers, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Southern Conference Educational Fund, and the American Accordionists Association.

To learn more about William Grant Still, visit: williamgrantstillmusic.com

Jordan Moore is a euphoniumist, ocarinist, hornist, arranger, and online content creator. Jordan began playing euphonium at age 10, but quickly became interested in learning other standard wind ensemble instruments. By age 15, he was self-taught in trumpet, trombone, tuba, saxophone, clarinet, and flute. Jordan produces YouTube videos of his own arrangements of mostly classical, anime, and video game music, utilizing many of the instruments he has learned. Additionally, Jordan recently graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a degree in euphonium performance and music education. At Eastman, Jordan performed in and arranged for a variety of ensembles. Jordan maintains a busy schedule pursuing his musical goals as a YouTuber, performer, and recording musician. On his YouTube channel, Jordan has two primary goals: 1) to show that underrated instruments, such as euphonium and ocarina, can play serious and beautiful music, and 2) to show that video game music and anime music can be just as complex and intimate as classical music. These two values are reflected in most of Jordan’s current videos, and he hopes to continue catering to a wide audience of people who are fans of either ocarina, brass instruments, classical music, anime and video game music, or some combination of these.

To learn more about Jordan Moore, you can visit his website: jordanmooremusic.com

No, this composer is not Black, but we wanted to feature his music for Leah's birthday! Commissioned by Caroline, the song cycle One and Two Half Poems by J. Edward Britton uses text taken from poems and letter that Leah wrote to Caroline.

Jacob Edward Britton is a composer, musician, and playwright, from Orlando, Florida. Raised in central Florida to a musical family, Britton attended a local performing arts high school where he learned percussion and jazz vibraphone. In his sophomore year of high school, he began to take a serious interest in music composition and has since studied with numerous teaching artists including Lynne Arriale, David Berger, Maria Schneider, Jay Ashby, Imer Santiago, Miguel Alvarado, Paul Parker and others. Britton has written for a variety of ensemble settings in many different genres. These include jazz big band, jazz small group, symphony orchestra, brass quintet, vocal solo with accompaniment, solo piano, as well as other ensemble types. J. Edward Britton studied under Jay Ashby at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and graduated in 2020 with a BM in Jazz Composition.

To learn more about J. Edward Britton, you can visit his website: jedwardbritton.com

This week we will be featuring a composition by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Samuel Coleridge Taylor was born in Holborn, London, England. One of his composition teachers was Charles Villiers Stanford. Then, at the suggestion of Edward Elgar, Coleridge Taylor was commissioned to write a piece for a festival in 1898, this resulted in "Ballade in A Minor." Following this, his trilogy based on the story of Hiawatha helped him to obtain fame for the rest of his life. In 1899 he discovered American spirituals sung by Fisk Jubilee singers on their tours, and he became interested in African-American folk songs. With this interest, he began to incorporate these folk songs into his compositions. In 1904, 1906, and 1910, he went on successful tours to the United States to perform his music. He was able to do things like conduct the marine band, and meet President Teddy Roosevelt.

To learn more about Samuel Coleridge Taylor, visit: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200038837/?fbclid=IwAR175y4XFb57QLKBR2rCL_6mzxEGTh5tTDmVEf9T-jTjgGZIPFwrpUm5Cwo

Listen to Coleridge Taylor's Hiawatha Overture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkqaSqwHlsw&t=5s&fbclid=IwAR2xuFTvtZnEewLruQuzxz-l0244THwUvmcJo0MTiLuC_ojNeuB48VGt5eA

Dorothy Rudd Moore is considered one of her generation's leading POC composers. She has received commissions from the National Symphony, Opera Ebony, and the Buffalo Philharmonic; and her music has been performed and recorded world-wide. Her work is admired for its high level of artistry and its seriousness of purpose. Other awards she has received include an American Music Center Grant, New York State Council on the Arts Grant, and several Meet the Composer grants. She graduated from Howard University in 1963 and received the Lucy Moten Fellowship to study in Paris 1963 and then in New York in 1965. In 1968 she became a co-founder of the Society of Black Composers in New York City. As an educator, she has taught voice, piano, and ear training courses at Harlem School of the Arts, New York University, and Bronx Community College.

To learn more about Dorothy Rudd Moore, visit: https://composers.com/dorothy-rudd-moore?fbclid=IwAR3_Jh49F_hIiDZAgIHYFfiy84Geok4Q6ti9eTquTwYa2wklt1a11Sve3yk

Florence Price is the first Black female composer to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra when her first symphony was performed. Although her piece was a success, she continued battle segregation, racism, and sexism. She was refused entrance into the Arkansas Music Teacher association, but founded the Little Rock Club of Musicians and taught music at segregated Black schools. She would gain recognition as far as England, where Sir. John Barbirolli commissioned her to compose a suite for string instruments. She died on June 3, 1953, of a stroke in Chicago. In 1964, Chicago named an elementary school after her to recognize the importance as a Black composer of the time.

To learn more about Florence Price, visit: florenceprice.org

Or, listen to this podcast on WQXR: https://www.wqxr.org/story/271521-musical-biography-florence-beatrice-price/