As we wrap up Black History Month and\u00a0open\u00a0March with National Women\u2019s History Month,\u00a0we celebrate the life of\u00a0Florence Beatrice Price (1887-1953), the first\u00a0African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer and to have a composition played by a major orchestra.\u00a0However, to reach this achievement and become recognized for her distinct idiom, Price had to\u00a0fight\u00a0her way through\u00a0substantial prejudices toward her\u00a0gender and race throughout her lifetime. Even today, there remains a lack of recognition and appreciation for much of Price’s work, but gradually, more groups and individuals have begun to shed light on her rich and unique musical language.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Price composed for many types of musical forces, having written orchestral works (including four symphonies and several concertos), chamber works, art songs, works for violin, organ anthems, piano pieces, and spiritual arrangements. While Price was trained in European traditions,\u00a0her compositions occupy a largely American idiom. Like fellow composers\u00a0William Grant Still<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0William Levi Dawson<\/a>,\u00a0 Price was known for exploring her Southern roots, commonly incorporating the Blues and melodies of black folk songs into her works. Being deeply religious, Price often used spirituals and African American church music as sources for her music, not only their text and melodies, but also their unique rhythms and syncopated style. Price went beyond simply quoting traditional African-American folk songs, instead integrating structural techniques of these songs, like\u00a0pentatonicism\u00a0and\u00a0call and response, into the very core of her works. Price’s works attempt answer the question of how to create sounds that reflect both a past and present embodiment of the black experience in the United States.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n