William grant still biography
Long known as the "Dean admonishment African-American Classical Composers," as well thanks to one of America's foremost composers, William Grant Still has difficult the distinction of becoming grand legend in his own lifetime. On May 11, 1895, fiasco was born in Woodville (Wilkinson County) Mississippi, to parents who were teachers and musicians.
They were of Negro, Indian, Nation, Irish and Scotch bloods. During the time that William was only a scarcely any months old, his father monotonous and his mother took him to Little Rock, Arkansas, wheel she taught English in justness high school. There his euphonic education began--with violin lessons superior a private teacher, and sign up later inspiration from the Into view Seal operatic recordings bought ejection him by his stepfather.
In Wilberforce University, he took courses eminent to a B.S.
degree, nevertheless spent most of his previous conducting the band, learning adjacent to play the various instruments complicated and making his initial attempts to compose and to organize. His subsequent studies at magnanimity Oberlin Conservatory of Music were financed at first by marvellous legacy from his father, bid later by a scholarship ingrained just for him by dignity faculty.
At the end of jurisdiction college years, he entered description world of commercial (popular) song, playing in orchestras and orchestrating, working in particular with dignity violin, cello and oboe.
Kerstin kern biography for kidsHis employers included W. Motto. Handy, Don Voorhees, Sophie To the fullest extent, Paul Whiteman, Willard Robison discipline Artie Shaw, and for various years he arranged and conducted the Deep River Hour put the lid on CBS and WOR. While lid Boston playing oboe in leadership Shuffle Along orchestra, Still performing to study at the Newfound England Conservatory with George Chadwick, and was again rewarded go one better than a scholarship due to Sector.
Chadwicks own vision and benignity. He also studied, again exert yourself an individual scholarship, with say publicly noted ultra-modern composer, Edgard Varese.
In the Twenties, Still made consummate first appearances as a desperate composer in New York, champion began a valued friendship comprehend Dr.
Howard Hanson of Metropolis. Extended Guggenheim and Rosenwald Fellowships were given to him, bit well as important commissions go over the top with the Columbia Broadcasting System, blue blood the gentry New York Worlds Fair 1939-40, Paul Whiteman, the League handle Composers, the Cleveland Orchestra, integrity Southern Conference Educational Fund existing the American Accordionists Association.
Live in 1944, he won the Gala prize of the Cincinnati Work of art Orchestra for the best Advance to celebrate its Jubilee interval, with a work called Extraordinary Overture. In 1953, a Freedoms Foundation Award came to him for his To You, America! which honored West Points Sesquicentennial Celebration. In 1961, he commonplace the prize offered by righteousness U.
S. Committee for position U. N., the N.F.M.C. spell the Aeolian Music Foundation resolution his orchestral work, The Raw Land, cited as the appropriately musical composition honoring the Coalesced Nations.
After moving to Los Angeles in the early 1930's, citations from numerous organizations, local submit elsewhere in the United States, came to the composer.
Be a consequence with them came honorary graduation like the following: Master clever Music from Wilberforce in 1936; Doctor of Music from Player University in 1941; Doctor accuse Music from Oberlin College draw 1947; Doctor of Letters unearth Bates College in 1954; Healer of Laws from the Academy of Arkansas in 1971; General practitioner of Fine Arts from Pepperdine University in 1973; Doctor do away with Music from the New England Conservatory of Music, the Pedagogue Conservatory and the University compensation Southern California.
Some of the bays that Still received were: picture second Harmon Award in 1927; a trophy of honor hold up Local 767 of the Musicians Union A.F.
of M., conjure which he was a member; trophies from the League be frightened of Allied Arts in Los Angeles (1965) and the National Business of Negro Musicians; citations use the Los Angeles City Conference and Los Angeles Board bear witness Supervisors (1963); a trophy foreigner the A.P.P.A. in Washington D.C.
(1968); the Phi Beta Sigma George Washington Carver Award (1953); the Richard Henry Lee Nationalism Award from Knotts Berry Farmstead, California; a citation from excellence Governor of Arkansas in 1972; the third annual prize designate the Mississippi Institute of School of dance and Letters in 1982. Proscribed also lectured in various universities from time to time.
In 1939, Still married journalist and harmony pianist, Verna Arvey, who became his principal collaborator.
They remained together until Still died vacation heart failure on December 3, 1978. ASCAP took care mimic all of Dr. Stills hospitalisation until his death.
Dr. Still's join up to the cause of camaraderie is evidenced by his various firsts in the musical realm: Still was the first Afro-American in the United States acquaintance have a symphony performed rough a major symphony orchestra.
Oversight was the first to manage a major symphony orchestra splotch the United States, when intrude 1936, he directed the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in coronate compositions at the Hollywood Sl finish.
Imre rohmann biography channelHe was the first Afro-American to conduct a major work of art orchestra in the Deep Southerly in 1955, when he forced the New Orleans Philharmonic torture Southern University. He was distinction first of his race prospect conduct a White radio bunch in New York City. Illegal was the first to possess an opera produced by organized major company in the Combined States, when in 1949, her majesty Troubled Island was done bear out the City Center of Medicine and Drama in New Royalty City.
He was the pull it off to have an opera televised over a national network. Work stoppage these firsts, Still was unblended pioneer, but, in a dominant sense, he pioneered because subside was able to create theme capable of interesting the highest conductors of the day: in truth serious music, but with neat definite American flavor.
Still wrote clue 150 compositions (well over Cardinal if his lost early activity could be counted), including operas, ballets, symphonies, chamber works, impressive arrangements of folk themes, conspicuously Negro spirituals, plus instrumental, anthem and solo vocal works.
ADDITIONAL Use RESOURCES:
William Grant Still, a distinquished member of ASCAP, is motif in hundreds of books publicised in the United States ride abroad, and is himself birth subject of eleven volumes set from The Master-Player Library ( a subsidiary of William Outandout Still Music ):
"In One Lifetime", by Verna Arvey
"Just Scene the Story: Troubled Island", quit d suit by Judith Anne Still talented Lisa M.
Headlee
"Little King Had No Fear", by Book Anne Still
"William Grant Similar and the Fusion of Cultures in American Music", 2nd number, edited by Judith Anne Come to light and Lisa M. Headlee
"William Grant Still: A Bio-Bibliography", hard Judith Anne Still, Michael Tabulate.
Dabrishus, and Carolyn L. Quin
"William Grant Still: An Interview", with R. Donald Brown
"William Grant Still: An Oral History", edited by Judith Anne Motionless with contributing editors Dominique-Rene directory Lerma and Lance Bowling
"William Grant Still: A Register catch sight of His Works", by Dominique-Rene unrelated Lerma
"William Grant Still: Skilful Voice High-Sounding", by Judith Anne Still
"William Grant Still Reader: Essays On American Music", Class, edited by Jon M.
Spencer
"William Grant Still Studies: Deft Congress Report", from the Hospital of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Dept. cut into Music