Florence Price

Dates:

1887-1953

Themes:

First Black woman to have her symphony performed by a major American orchestra (Symphony No. 1, 1933). Integrated African American spirituals into symphonic forms.

Notable Works:

Symphony No. 1 in E minor (1933)
Piano Concerto in One Movement (1934)
Songs to the Dark Virgin (1941)

About:

Florence Price was a pioneering American composer, pianist, and music educator, best known as the first African American woman to have a symphony performed by a major U.S. orchestra. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, into a middle-class African American family, Price displayed musical talent early and pursued formal studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she majored in organ and piano teaching. Despite the era’s pervasive racial and gender barriers, she graduated with honors in 1906, forging a path as a composer in a deeply segregated America.

Price’s music is a fusion of European Romantic idioms and African American musical traditions. Her Symphony No. 1 in E minor, premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1933, blends lush orchestration with the melodic and rhythmic influences of spirituals and Black vernacular music. This historic performance marked a turning point in American classical music, yet Price continued to face systemic obstacles throughout her career. She composed over 300 works, including symphonies, concertos, art songs, and chamber music, often incorporating Black cultural elements in a concert tradition dominated by white composers. Her songs were championed by artists like Marian Anderson, who performed them at high-profile venues including the Lincoln Memorial.

Despite critical acclaim during her lifetime, Price’s legacy faded after her death in 1953—until a cache of her manuscripts was rediscovered in an abandoned Illinois house in 2009, sparking renewed interest in her music. Today, her compositions are celebrated and performed by leading orchestras, and scholars increasingly recognize her as a foundational figure in American music history. Price’s work stands as a testament to artistic excellence achieved against formidable odds, and her resurgence is reshaping the classical canon to reflect a broader, more inclusive history.