Classical Piano Enriched by Black Musicians

The classical piano world has been helped by a variety of musicians. Because February is celebrated as Black History month, it is good to focus on Black contributions.

Scott Joplin is one of the most recognized piano composers of the 20^th century, and even won a Pulitzer Prize in 1976. As a teenager, he studied classical piano and recognized the art of music, not just for entertainment. In his ragtime compositions, he merged European romanticism with American folk music syncopation to achieve both contrapuntal and innovative harmonies in a classical miniature form.

Another notable pianist and composer was George Walker, who wrote almost 100 piece of music, including vocal works. He too blended spirituals and Western classical forms. In 1996 he became the first Black composer to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Tom “Blind Tom” Wiggins was the highest paid pianist at one point in the 19^th century – at the age of ten! He was known for performing pieces by Bach and Beethoven, and wrote more than 100 piano compositions.

Noted songstress Nina Simone studied classical piano. In her song writing and piano performance, she has incorporated complex contrapuntal features inspired by Bach.

Another musical prodigy, Hazel Scott, studied at Julliard when she was eight years old. She performed both jazz and classical music “live,” on the radio, and in film. She was the first African American to host a network TV show in America, which featured a variety of musical performances.

Music is both international and culturally developed. We have much to thank Black musicians for enrichening the classical piano experience. Including their work in piano repertoires benefits everyone.

Black Notes in Classical Music

 Tomoko appreciates the multicultural aspects of classical music. Among those composers who are notable but sometimes not as well known are Black composers. Here are five notable ones.

Known as the Black Mozart, Creole Joseph Bologne was born on Christmas Day, 1745, in Guadeloupe, and was schooled in France. Bologne was first an expert fencer, but always had a love of music. He performed as an orchestra violinist, and became its concert master. Joseph wrote several sonatas, including for the forte-piano. He chiefly wrote operas and symphonies. Bologne, who lived next to Mozart for a while, is considered the first-known classical composer of African heritage.

George Bridgetower is most known for his violin virtuosity, and as such, the original dedicatee of Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata. He was born on October 11, 1778 in Poland of a West Indian father and Polish mother. He moved early to London, and performed publicly as a teen in England and Paris. Most of his own compositions were piano pieces, but many were lost over the years.

Another African British composer was Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, called the African Mahler. Born on August 15, 1875, Samuel studied at the Royal College of Music in London, and was a professor at the Crystal Palace School of Music. Many of his works were choral pieces, the best known one was The Song of Hiawatha. Samuel drew upon traditional African music in his compositions. He also wrote poetry, which he would sometimes set to music.

Florence Price is known as the first African American woman recognized as a symphonic composer. She also wrote for the piano – among her over 300 compositions. She was born in Arkansas on April 9, 1887. She performed publicly on the piano at age four, and had her first composition published at age eleven. Florence’s mother was a music teacher, and Florence attended the New England Conservatory of Music where she earned an artist diploma in organ and a teaching certificate. Florence played an importance role in the Chicago Black Renaissance, making her name first with her piano work Negro Fantasy. She wrote prize-winning piano sonatas and symphonies, and arranged spirituals, which Marian Anderson regularly performed.

George Walker was first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music – for his piece Lilacs. Born on June 27, 1922, he began playing the piano at age five. He earned his doctorate at the Eastman School of Music and taught at Rutgers University. He published more than ninety works, including five sonatas for piano, duet sonatas for piano and another instrument, as well as choral works and songs.

These accomplished composers of African descent certainly should be noted and listened to.

Black Beginnings at the Conservatory

When Tomoko started teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, there was only one other non-Caucasian faculty member: a Black woman Beulah Forbes-Woodard, whose specialty was jazz music.

Born in Ellensburg (in central Washington state), Beulah Forbes grew up in a musical family. Her father played ragtime music for silent films, and all of Beulah’s siblings worked in music or the theater.

Beulah studied classical music at the Conservatory, and was their first African American graduate. Upon her graduation, Beulah was asked to join the Conservatory as a teacher, thus becoming the Conservatory’s first Black faculty member. When she retired from the Conservatory after teaching there for almost fifty years, the Conservatory awarded her a doctorate of music. She also taught at the University of San Francisco and Lone Mountain College.

An accomplished pianist, she played professionally with well known musicians, headlining performances in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Beulah also performed the first jazz concert at the Conservatory, which led to jazz being incorporated into the curriculum.

A friend recalled Beulah saying: “Music is my passion, teaching is my heart, and performing is my thrill.” That sentiment could well be shared by Tomoko.