Poster Portrait of composer William Grant Still, 1936
Studio portrait of composer and conductor William Grant Still (1895 - 1978), the first African-American conductor of a major orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, 1936.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Rhapsody in Black

William Grant Still, the dean of African American composers

Rhapsody in Black - William Grant Still
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Composer William Grant Still is the record holder for many firsts in the Black classical world. His Afro-American Symphony was the first to be performed by a major orchestra. A huge figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Still remains one of the most programmed and celebrated Black composers.

Credits

Host: Tesfa Wondemagegnehu

Producer: Dan Nass

Writers: Andrea Blain and Scott Blankenship

Executive Producer: Julie Amacher

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About Rhapsody in Black

Where we turn up the voices of Black artists in the world of classical music, with host Vernon Neal.

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About Rhapsody in Black