Classical Music Recordings of Black Composers:
a reference guide
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WEB LINKS
African American History & Heritage Site: Offers wide-ranging information regarding history - including music. Focuses on teacher resources and information.
African-American Sheet Music; 1850 – 1920: From the collections of Brown University, this includes 1,305 pieces of African-American sheet music dating from 1850 through 1920. Post-Civil War music reflects the problems of Reconstruction and the beginnings of urbanization and the northern migration of African Americans. Selected African-American composers include James Bland, James Reese Europe, and Will Marion Cook.
African Chorus: Based in St. Louis, the African Chorus Project is dedicated to promoting world peace through intercultural understanding and cultural enrichment. Program components include: a Concert and Touring Program; African Choral Workshops; Community Outreach Programs; along with Symposia and Festivals. There is an emphasis upon African heritage composers.
Afrocentric Voices in Classical Music : Focuses on African-American performers and composers and on the vocal music forms they influenced; especially opera, art songs and Negro spirituals composed for concert performance. Includes an extensive bibliography, a chronology of major events and accomplishments, a list of libraries and research centers with significant resources by and about African-American musicians.
Archives of African American Music and Culture : The Undine Smith Moore Collection includes a collection of original scores and manuscripts by African-American composers. The Archives of AAAMC is devoted to the collection, preservation, and dissemination of materials for the purpose of research and study of African-American music and culture.
Center for Black Music Research (CBMR): The center is an academic unit of Columbia College Chicago. Its mission is to document, collect, preserve, and disseminate information about black music and to promote musicians and composers of the global African diaspora. The center was founded in 1983 by Dr. Samuel A. Floyd Jr.
Center for Southern African-American Music: at the University of South Carolina's School of Music. There are three components: an Archive, Curriculum Initiatives, and an Educational Outreach Program.
Classical Music in Black and White: a National Public Radio interview with musicologist Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma.
Dictionary of African Composers: This project aims to more properly document the music of Africa and its composers. The dictionary is a research project of the University of Pretoria's music department (South Africa). Edited by Alexander Johnson and Chris Wallon. Where possible, each composer entry is given in both English and their mother tongue.
Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers : Accurate biographical information on more than 500 composers of Western art music.
Jamaica's Classical Musicians: Identifies and provides background information on individuals who have achieved an international classical music reputation - composers and musicians. There is also some emphasis on those who have pursued their careers chiefly in Jamaica.
Marian Anderson: A Life in Song: University of Pennsylvania Rare Book & Manuscript Library special collection, established in 1996. This biographical exhibit is a comprehensive presentation of Ms. Anderson's artistic development and musical career. She placed her personal papers - including letters, music scores, programs, photographs, and sound recordings - with Penn's library. An online registry and inventory of the papers and images is available. Of note to this website is Anderson's black composer arrangements and collaborations with Harry T. Burleigh, Nathaniel Dett, and Hall Johnson.
MusicianBio.com : An international directory of classical musicians, composers and conductors. It offers the performing arts marketplace an in-depth source of information featuring biographical details on performing artists. In addition, it provides the latest information on concert performance updates, new record releases, press releases from cultural institutions, industry news as well as video presentation of classical musicians around the world.
Myrtle Hart Society : Strives to serve as an information resource and as a forum for classical musicians of color. Can sign-up for a monthly newsletter.
(The) National Association for Music Education : Includes resource Lift Every Voice: Celebrating African American History Month that includes online teaching materials, suggested resources, and links to other organizations celebrating African American history and heritage. MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world's largest arts education organization, is an association that addresses all aspects of music education.
National Association of Negro Musicians : Founded in Chicago in 1919, the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. is the country’s oldest organization dedicated to the preservation, encouragement and advocacy of all genres of the music of African Americans. Since its inception, NANM has provided encouragement and support to thousands of African American musicians, many of whom have become widely respected figures in music and have contributed significantly to American culture and music history. A listing of luminaries includes some such as: Marian Anderson (first scholarship award recipient in 1919), William L. Dawson, Florence B. Price, Margaret Bonds, Warren George Wilson, James Frazier, Julia Perry, Grace Bumbry, Leon Bates, Joseph Joubert, Awadagin Pratt, along with many others.
William Grant Still Collection : Includes the Still Papers, 1877-1992, which chiefly contain photocopies of music, writings, correspondence, diaries, pictures, printed material, clippings, and recordings, which primarily document his work as a composer. Additional materials from Verna Arvey, Still's second wife, form an integral part of the collection. Documents include historical and critical study of Still's music, as well as being a valuable source of arrangements for performances.
Project Overview /
Recordings /
Composers /
Comprehensive CD Recording Publication /
References, Music Scores /
Web Links /
Suggested Listening /
Musicians & Conductors /
In Philadelphia /
Contact Us /
Home /